#Middlebury
Q: Is NFL football reporter Jac Collinsworth related to longtime announcer Cris Collinsworth? He sure looks like him. Did he ever play football like his dad? – N.C.
A: Yes, 26-year-old Jac Collinsworth has joined NBC Sports, the broadcast home of his father, Cris Collinsworth, who hosts “Sunday Night Football” with Al Michaels on NBC. You can see Jac on the sidelines Sunday nights, and while some might scream “nepotism,” Jac seems like a natural talent who was hired on his own merits.
According to SportingNews.com, Jac has been working in front of and behind the camera since he was in eighth grade. He worked as a sports reporter while attending Notre Dame, but was never a college athlete like his father. Cris Collinsworth, who is now 62, played for the Florida Gators and then subsequently the Cincinnati Bengals.
Before joining NBC, Jac worked for ESPN as a host and features reporter. When Cris learned that NBC executive Sam Flood wanted to make his son an offer, he pleaded with them not to, saying that Jac was doing great making his own mark at ESPN. Flood explained that the network needed to build their young talent pool and that Jac was “the best I’ve seen.”
Q: I recently saw the movie “House of Gucci.” I always wonder how accurate these biographical films really are and what the family must think of how they are portrayed. Did they have any input on the making of the movie? – R.V.
Lady Gaga in “House of Gucci” (MGM photo)
A: According to USA Today, the Gucci family hasn’t been involved in the Gucci fashion house since 1993, when Maurizio “sold his remaining stake to the Bahrain-based company Investcorp” and was later bought by the French group Kering.
In the movie “House of Gucci,” Lady Gaga plays Patrizia Reggiani, who hired a hitman to murder her husband, Maurizio Gucci, played by Adam Driver. The Gucci family issued a statement recently saying that the film is “anything but accurate” and that they were not consulted at all before or during production. Director Ridley Scott defended his film, stating that he tried to be “as respectful as possible by being as factual as possible.”
The reviews have been mixed, with audiences enjoying the film more than critics, but both groups seem to agree that Lady Gaga’s performance will likely result in another Oscar nomination for the talented singer/actress.
Q: Who was the little girl who played Annie in the recent live musical? She was incredible. Was she a new discovery? — E.E.
A: Celina Smith earned the title role in NBC’s “Annie Live!” through a nationwide search, but it wasn’t her first professional acting role. At only 12 years old, she’s already played a Young Nala in a national touring production of “The Lion King” and has been a regular on the Nickelodeon sitcom “Young Dylan.”
“Annie Live!” aired Dec. 2 on NBC and starred crooner Harry Connick Jr. as Daddy Warbucks, Taraji P. Henson (“Empire”) as Miss Hannigan and Tituss Burgess (“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”) as Rooster.
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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