Leslie Odom Jr_, one of the original cast members of the mega-hit Broadway musical “Hamilton,” is coming back for another shot, a role he says “gave me life.”.

A Democratic congressional primary in Ohio has emerged as a test for progressives.

For years Wayne Brady had been working on a one-man show about being a young Black man growing up in Orlando, but he could never finish the project.

Paul Mooney, a boundary-pushing comedian who was Richard Pryor’s longtime writing partner and whose bold, incisive musings on racism and American life made him a revered figure in stand-up, has died.

Pervis Staples, whose tenor voice complimented his father’s and sisters’ in The Staple Singers, is dead at the age of 85.

One of the world’s most honored musical producers and engineers has died.

Chloé Zhao’s “Nomadland” won best feature at the 36th Independent Spirit Awards in a ceremony that turned the annual beach soiree into a virtual, largely pre-taped event, and, possibly, an Oscar preview.

This week’s new entertainment releases include screen options with women taking charge.

10 — Nominations for “Mank," the most of any film this year, with nods for best picture, best director for Fincher, best actor for Gary Oldman and best supporting actress for Seyfried. In the best supporting actor category, Heath Ledger and Ralph Richardson were nominated, with Ledger winning for “The Dark Knight” in 2009. 5 — African nations that have received nominations for best international feature, now that Tunisia has its first nominee, “The Man Who Sold His Skin." 4 — Nominations received by “Nomadland” director Chloé Zhao, a record for a woman in a record year for women. 1 — Man nominated for both best actor and best original song.

This was all of us trying to see how far could we go.” — Riz Ahmed, nominated for best actor for “Sound of Metal,” in an interview. He directed, co-produced and co-wrote the film, which earned six nominations and is the first best picture nominee with an all-Black producing team. — Emerald Fennell, nominated for best director and best original screenplay for “Promising Young Woman,” which also received nods for best picture and best actress, in a statement. And yes, I’ll have some drinks tonight.” — Thomas Vinterberg on his nomination for best director for “Another Round,” which was also nominated for best international feature film, in an interview. — Kaouther Ban Hania, director of best international feature nominee “The Man Who Sold His Skin.”

This image released by Paramount Pictures shows Andra Day in "The United States vs Billie Holiday." (Takashi Seida/Paramount Pictures via AP)“The United States vs. Billie Holiday,” “Minari,” “Da 5 Bloods” and “One Night in Miami” are among the films AARP is honoring at its annual Movies for Grownups Awards, the nonprofit organization said Thursday. Director Lee Daniels’ “The United States vs. Billie Holiday,” starring Andra Day as the jazz singer, was named best picture, while the Korean American family drama “Minari” got best intergenerational film. “We focus on films made by and for grownups,” said Tim Appelo, the film and television critic for AARP. Catherine O’Hara took best actress for “Schitt’s Creek,” Mark Ruffalo got best actor for “I Know This Much is True” and “This Is Us” was named best series.

This image released by Netflix shows Michael Potts, from left, Chadwick Boseman and Colman Domingo in "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom." Boseman was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for outstanding actor in a motion picture for his performance in the film. Boseman was also nominated in the supporting actor in a motion picture for his role in the SPike Lee film "Da 5 Bloods." (David Lee/Netflix via AP)LOS ANGELES – With his final two performances, the late Chadwick Boseman earned two NAACP Image Awards nominations Tuesday, while “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” could make its presence felt at next month’s ceremony. “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” came away with nine nominations.

The film was nominated for seven Independent Film Spirit Awards including one for best feature. The 36th annual Spirit Awards, like most awards shows during the pandemic, are adjusting to the difficult circumstances. Eliza Hittman's “Never Rarely Sometimes Always,” a Pennsylvania's teen's odyssey in getting an abortion, racked up nominations for best feature film, best director and best female lead for Sidney Flanigan. Chloe Zhoe's “Nomadland,” starring Frances McDormand, scored five nods, including best feature, best director and best female lead for McDormand. None of the nominees for best feature film were directed by a white male.

The film, which played at the top festivals in the fall, premieres Friday on Amazon Prime. — Another acclaimed film from the virtual festival circuit, Sam Pollard’s “MLK/FBI,” debuts on-demand and in theaters Friday. Pablo Dylan, the son of film director Jesse Dylan who has collaborated with Erykah Badu and A$AP Rocky, is putting out the five-song set called “Solitude” on Friday. — AP Music Editor Mesfin FekaduTELEVISION— Catherine Zeta-Jones is joining Fox’s “Prodigal Son,” about a skilled criminal profiler (Tom Payne) and his serial-killer dad (Martin Sheen). The sophomore season of “Prodigal Son” starts at 9 p.m. EST on a new night, Tuesday.

A few dozen demonstrators marched through Hollywood for hours on Thursday, one of many protests across the country demanding justice for Breonna Taylor. ___11:15 p.m.A protest has ended outside a Louisville church where demonstrators had rallied against a grand jury decision in the Breonna Taylor case. Instead, the only charges brought by the grand jury were three counts of wanton endangerment against fired Officer Brett Hankison for shooting into Taylor’s neighbors’ homes. ___10:50 p.m.Several arrests have been made near a downtown Louisville church where people protesting a grand jury decision in the Breonna Taylor case had gathered. Protests turned violent in some U.S. cities Wednesday night, hours after the grand jury decision in the Breonna Taylor case in Kentucky.

The Oscar-winning actor, who sat in the director’s chair for “One Night in Miami,” wished she could pose with her cast and give them hugs. But with the pandemic scuttling travel plans, she was settling for a virtual appearance that she equated to a certain television family. King, who took home a supporting actress Oscar last year for “If Beale Street Can Talk,” is getting early Hollywood awards buzz for the film. “I would talk to them individually, needing to hear that we had this similar, if not the same, expectations going into it, and all four of these men mirrored that - those expectations. She added: "I am only five-three, but I will go toe to toe with anybody who has anything to say differently.

Rihanna, Alicia Keys, Radiohead, Coldplay, Kelly Rowland, Beastie Boys and were among the celebrities to join Black Out Tuesday on social media. !Spotify blacked out the artwork for several of its popular playlists, including RapCaviar and Todays Top Hits, simply writing Black lives matter. as its description. Some on social media questioned if posting black squares would divert attention away from posts about the Black Lives Matter movement. When musician Dillon Francis posted that the hashtag for Black Lives Matter was blank on Instagram because users were posting black squares, rapper Lil Nas X responded with: this is not helping us. But she was heavily criticized, and began to trend on Twitter, for adding white borders around her black squares to match the aesthetic of her Instagram page.

Across the U.S., many celebrities have been doing far more than tweeting supportive words or issuing carefully prepared statements. They took to the streets alongside thousands of people to condemn the killings of black people at the hands of police and to demand reform. The video shows Sampson step in front of his assistant and an officer hit him at least twice with a baton. Then an officer aims straight at me, no ricochet, and shoots (rubber bullets) Sampson wrote. Everyone is angry but there is a way to direct that anger, actor/director Taika Waititi wrote on Twitter on Saturday.

Pastor Bill Minson, a close friend of Little Richard's, told The Associated Press that Little Richard died Saturday morning. “Little Richard? That’s rock ‘n’ roll,” Neil Young, who heard Richard’s riffs on the radio in Canada, told biographer Jimmy McDonough. “I am the architect of rock ‘n’ roll!” Little Richard crowed at the 1988 Grammy Awards as the crowd rose in a standing ovation. In late 1955, Little Richard recorded the bawdy “Tutti Frutti,” with lyrics that were sanitized by a New Orleans songwriter.