Rafael Casal to Honor the Actors at the “Dorians TV Toast 2020 on Revry”
Sexy big and small screen actor Rafael Casal will next be seen in the Blumhouse/Showtime limited series “The Good Lord Bird,” opposite Ethan Hawke, premiering in October. He can currently be seen in Cory Finley and HBO’s Emmy Award-nominated film “Bad Education,” opposite Hugh Jackman. Rafael made his feature film debut in “Blindspotting” in which he wrote, produced and starred. It premiered to critical acclaim at the Sundance and SXSW Film Festivals. It was bought by Lionsgate after a major bidding war. He’s adapting the film into a Series for Starz.
He is also currently writing and preparing to direct the feature “First Sight” for Lionsgate and a Pilot for FX.
Rafael is also well-known to audiences for his work on HBO’s Def Poetry. His digital content and music albums have garnered millions of views and listens. His theatre-in-verse works have been presented at venues across the country and his music has been featured on MTV and Showtime series as well as at the SXSW and the Sundance Film Festivals.
Rafael is the Co-Founder and the Artistic Director of the landmark Bars Workshop at the famed New York City’s Public Theater. He served as the Creative Director for the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s First Wave Undergraduate Arts Program and as the Curator for the Line Breaks Festival.
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Comedy and TV Trailblazer Margaret Cho to Toast Best Comedy Series
Cho to Toast Best TV Comedy Series at Dorians TV Toast 2020
Margaret Cho was born Dec. 5, 1968 and raised in San Francisco. “It was different than any other place on Earth,” she says. “I grew up and went to grammar school on Haight Street during the ’70s. There were old hippies, ex-druggies, burnouts, drag queens, and Chinese people. To say it was a melting pot – that’s the least of it. It was a really confusing, enlightening, wonderful time.”
Ignoring the traditions of her patriarchal culture, her mother bravely resisted an arranged marriage in Korea and married Margaret’s father a Korean joke book writer. “Books like 1001 Jokes for Public Speakers – real corny stuff,” Cho says. “I guess we’re in the same line of work. But we don’t understand each other that way. I don’t understand why the things he says are funny and the same for him.”
What Margaret did know is that being a kid was hard. Racing toward adulthood as fast as she could to escape the constant bullying she endured, Margaret began writing jokes at 14 and professionally performing at age 16. Getting picked on, and not having a feeling of belonging, is a subject that’s not only near to Margaret’s heart, but something she still feels very deeply despite all of her successes. In that sense, Margaret has gladly and graciously become the “Patron Saint for Outsiders,” speaking for those who are not able to speak for themselves, and encouraging people who can to use their voice to promote change.
Soon after starting her Stand Up career, Margaret won a comedy contest where first prize was opening for Jerry Seinfeld. She moved to Los Angeles in the early ’90s and, still in her early twenties, hit the college circuit, where she immediately became the most booked act in the market and garnered a nomination for “Campus Comedian of The Year.” She performed over 300 concerts within two years. Arsenio Hall introduced her to late night audiences, Bob Hope put her on a prime time special and, seemingly overnight, Margaret Cho became a national celebrity.
Her groundbreaking, controversial, and short-lived ABC sitcom, All-American Girl (1994) soon followed. Oddly, while chosen because of who she was – a non-conformist Korean American woman with liberal views – the powers-that-be decided they preferred for Margaret to “tone it down” for the show. She soon realized that though she was an Executive Producer, this would be a battle she could not win. “For fear of being too “ethnic,” the show got so watered down for television that by the end, it was completely lacking in the essence of what I wanted to accomplish.”
The experience was a traumatic one, bringing up unresolved feelings left over from childhood, and Margaret developed an eating disorder as a response to criticism about her body. She was so obsessive in her goal to try to be what she thought others wanted, that she landed in the hospital with kidney failure. Through out this period of self-abuse, Margaret continued performing to sold-out audiences in comedy clubs, theaters, and college campuses, working to channel her anger in to something more positive.
In 1999, her groundbreaking, off Broadway one-woman show, I’m The One That I Want, toured the country to national acclaim and was made into a best-selling book and feature film of the same name. After her experience with All-American Girl, Margaret wanted to make sure she would only ever have to answer to herself, putting herself in charge of the distribution and sales of her film, which garnered incredible reviews and broke records for “Most Money Grossed per Print”. In 2001, after the success of her first tour, Maragaret launched Notorious C.H.O., a smash-hit 37-city national tour that culminated in a sold-out concert at Carnegie Hall. Notorious C.H.O., hailed by the New York Times as “Brilliant,” was recorded and released as a feature film. Both films were acquired by Showtime, and produced by Margaret’s production company, a testament to the success of Margaret’s business model.
In March of 2003, Margaret embarked on her third sold-out national tour, Revolution. It was heralded by the Chicago Sun Times as “Her strongest show yet” and the CD recording was nominated for a Grammy for Comedy Album of the Year. In 2005, she releasedAssassin, with The Chicago Tribune stating “(Assassin) packs passion in to each punch.” The concert film premiered in select theatres and on the gay and lesbian premium channel Here! TV.
In 2007, Margaret hit the road with Cyndi Lauper, Debbie Harry and Erasure, along with indie faves The Dresden Dolls and The Cliks, to host the True Colors Tour, benefiting the Human Rights Campaign. An entertainment pioneer, Margaret also created and starred in The Sensuous Woman, a live variety show featuring vaudevillian burlesque and comedy, which she took for an extended off-Broadway run in the fall.
Margaret returned to TV in 2008 with the VH1 series, The Cho Show. Describing it as a ‘reality sitcom,’ Margaret said at the time, “It’s the closest I’ve been able to come on television to what I do as a comic.” The Cho Show followed Margaret, her real parents, and her eccentric entourage through a series of bold and outrageous experiences, shaped by Margaret’s ‘anything goes’ brand of stand-up.
The aptly titled Beautiful came next, exploring the good, bad and ugly in beauty, and the marketers who shape our world. The concert premiered in Australia at The Sydney Theater, marking the first time Margaret debuted a tour abroad. While touring through the US, the concert was filmed at the Long Beach theatre, aired as a special on Showtime in 2009, and then released as both a DVD and a book.
In 2009 Margaret nabbed a starring role in the comedy/drama series Drop Dead Diva, which aired for six seasons on the Lifetime network. Margaret enjoyed not having the sole responsibility for keeping things afloat. “(Drop Dead Diva) was a very fulfilling experience. It let me taking about the things I talk about, like body image, and women feeling good about themselves.”
Never one to shy away from a challenge, Margaret stepped right up to the plate when asked to do Season 11 of the highly- rated Dancing with the Stars. Paired with pro Louie Van Amstel, Margaret was on the show’s most controversial seasons. Margaret got a very strong reaction to her Rainbow Dancing Dress during a time when the issue of bullying, especially among gay teens, was being heavily covered in the media. “I am very proud to have been able to wear a gay pride dress on a show that is so conservative.”
2010 culminated with another high honor, a second Grammy Award nomination for “Comedy Album of the Year” for Cho Dependent, her incredibly funny collection of music. Featuring collaborations with Fiona Apple, Andrew Bird, Grant Lee Phillips, Tegan & Sara, Ben Lee and more, the album received critical acclaim. The album is funny, but also quite musical, featuring not only her surprisingly strong singing voice, but her skill on the guitar, banjo and dulcimer. “I was inspired to make beautiful music with a comic edge. I took this very seriously, taking vocal and guitar lessons while I was touring.”
Margaret self released Cho Dependent on her own Clownery Records, and was encouraged by the acclaim, since there are only a handful of artists putting out true albums of comedy music – “Weird” Al Yankovic, Flight of the Conchords, The Lonely Island, to name a few – yet no women. In 2011, Margaret released the live concert film of Cho Dependent, which also had its cable network debut on Showtime. Shot at the Tabernacle in Atlanta, GA, she remained uncensored, with a characteristically no-holds-barred show.
In 2012, Margaret spent whatever free time she had crafting her all new standup show, the uproariously and aptly named MOTHER, which kicked off with both a US and European tour. According to Margaret, “MOTHER offers up an untraditional look at motherhood and how we look at maternal figures and strong women in queer culture.”
Margaret’s creative side moved ahead at full speed with an Emmy nomination for “Best Guest Performance” on Thirty Rock. After the death of her mentor, Robin Williams, overwhelmed her, a mutual friend told her not to grieve Robin, but to ‘Be Robin’. The hashtag #BeRobin was born, as Margaret began setting up shop in different places around San Francisco in an effort to raise money for the Homeless community. “All I do and create a distraction – comedy and music – for several hours and collect goods and donations for people who need them.” The GoFundMe page Margaret set up has raised over $20,000.00 in donations.
In 2015, Margaret was one of the hosts of TLC’s All About SEX, a late night call-in talk show with Margaret covering sex toys and alternative sexuality. “I wanted to remove the stigma of women not only buying sex toys, but experimenting with what makes them feel good.” 2015 also brought Margaret back to the stand up stage, where she filmed her Showtime special/DVD psyCHO at the historic Gramercy Theatre in New York City. Called “wildly kinetic” by the New York Times, psyCHO “is about insanity, about the anger I feel about everything happening in the world, from police brutality to racism to the rising tide of violence against women.” In keeping with the show’s theme, the artwork, a portrait she commissioned from artist Vincent Castiglia made entirely of her own blood.
There’s no break for Margaret in 2016: The three-time Grammy and Emmy nominee will release her next studio album, American Myth, on April 29th on her Clownery label. The follow up to Cho Dependent, it’s the first collection of new music from Margaret in 6 years. She has already debuted three music videos: “Ron’s Got a DUI”, “Fat Pussy”, and the song that set the Internet on its ass (take that, Kardashians), “(I Want To) Kill My Rapist”. Salon magazine called the song “A new anthem” and UK’s The Guardian reminded anyone who was offended that “Cho is famed for her boldness, her taboo-breaking humour.” Margaret spoke to Billboard about the song saying, “I’m a victim, and now a survivor, of sexual abuse and rape, and I think it’s really hard to talk about it. I think having a song to perform live will allow others to talk about it. It’s a huge issue, and this was cathartic for me.”
American Myth, made with her longtime collaborator Garrison Starr, also showcases Margaret’s first efforts as a composer. Margaret says the album is “my glamorous and glittering tribute to family, comedy, anger, fame, gayness, grief, fat pride, love and hate.”
In what is a fitting tribute, Margaret has also been named special co-host of E!’s Fashion Police, covering the biggest award shows of 2016. Since Joan Rivers was not only a friend, but also a vocal supporter of Margaret, this has a unique significance. “Although I am not quite a fashionista, I would love to look at it like I am changing it up – Fashion Police: Special Victims Unit. It makes me happiest to spend time with Melissa (Rivers), and when I see her laugh at my jokes, I feel like Joan is smiling.”
And in typical “go-go-go” style, Margaret has signed on to develop Highland, a dramedy for Amazon. The hour long show follows Margaret, who after court-0rdered rehab, gets a chance to start over by moving in with her (dysfunctional) family who run a pot dispensary. Co-created by Margaret and writer Liz Sarnoff (“Deadwood, Lost, Alcatraz) Margaret is set to star and executive produce as well.
With so much success in her artistic life, Margaret has never turned away from the causes that are important to her. She is incredibly active in anti-racism, anti-bullying, advocating for the homeless and gay rights campaigns, and has been recognized for her unwavering dedication. She was the recipient of the Victory Fund’s Leadership Award and the first-ever “Best Comedy Performance Award” at the 2007 Asian Excellence Awards. She also received the “First Amendment Award” from the ACLU of Southern California, and the “Intrepid Award” from the National Organization for Women (NOW). Margaret has been honored by GLAAD, American Women in Radio and Television, the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF), the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), PFLAG and LA Pride, who gave Margaret a “Lifetime Achievement Award” for leaving a lasting imprint on the LGBT community.
Through her hard work, Margaret has had the opportunity to be heard, to extend her point of view and become regarded as a true pioneer in her field. She takes none of it for granted. “It’s a wonderful thing to be known as a ‘safe haven’ for people. People come to see me, or buy my records and/or DVDs because my point of view satisfies a lot of what needs to be said out there. More than anything, that makes me really proud.”
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Rising Comedian Annie Murphy, Supporting TV Actress Champ
ANNIE MURPHY: Best Supporting TV Performance—Actress“Alexis Rose” on Schitt’s Creek@annefrancesPrevious to slaying it as vapid but caring 20something Alexis Rose on Creek (you haven’t lived until you’ve seen Annie/Alexis sing her signature pop would-be hit “A Little Bit Alexis”), Annie Murphy notched roles in hit Canadian series like Rookie Blue and Flashpoint. She also has appeared on the stage in Montreal and Toronto.
The Ottowa-born Murphy, who was nominated for a Canadian Screen Award for Best Actress in a Comedy for her work on the show, wrote, produced and acted in The Plateaus, a CBC web series that featured Elisha Cuthbert, Jay Baruchel, Sam Roberts and Kevin MacDonald. She is a graduate of both the Canadian Film Centre Actors’ Conservatory and the Theatre Performance Program at Concordia University.
Sources: Schitt’s Creek PR, GALECA.org
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‘Watchmen’: Damon Lindelof, Regina King & More Celebrate Their Double-Winner
WATCHMEN: BEST TV MOVIE OR LIMITED SERIES, MOST VISUALLY STRIKING TV SHOW (HBO)THE SHOW@watchmenSet in an alternate history where masked vigilantes are treated as outlaws, Watchmen embraces the nostalgia of the original groundbreaking graphic novel of the same name, while attempting to break new ground of its own.Regina King leads the cast as Angela Abar, who wears two masks; one as a lead detective in The Tulsa Police Force and another as wife and mother of three. The cast also includes Jeremy Irons as the Lord of a Country Estate; Don Johnson as Judd Crawford, Tulsa Chief of Police; Jean Smart as FBI Agent Laurie Blake; Tim Blake Nelson as Detective Looking Glass; Louis Gossett Jr. as Will Reeves; Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Cal Abar; Tom Mison as Mr. Phillips; Frances Fisher as Jane Crawford and Sara Vickers as Ms. Crookshanks. Additional cast include Hong Chau as Lady Trieu, the mysterious trillionaire, Andrew Howard, Jacob Ming-Trent, Dylan Schombing and James Wolk.DAMON LINDELOF, SHOW CREATOR AND EXECUTIVE PRODUCER@damonlindelofDespite being advised that his brain would rot, Damon Lindelof spent the majority of his childhood watching television. After a brief flirtation with movies by way of a film degree from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, Damon hopped in his car and traveled west.Treating Los Angeles as a de facto Grad School, Damon worked for a literary agency, Paramount Studios, and finally as a creative executive for producer Alan Ladd Jr. before reminding himself that his true passion was TV. Shedding his suit and tie for a T-Shirt and Birkenstocks, Damon took a job as a writer’s assistant on Kevin Williamson’s ABC Drama Wasteland.Shortly thereafter, fortune smiled upon him and he was made a staff writer.Damon went on to write for CBS staple Nash Bridges and NBC’s drama Crossing Jordan, where he wrote and produced for three seasons. Then Damon got Lost. Within twelve weeks of complete insanity, he and co-creator J.J. Abrams managed to make a completely weird, ridiculously untenable and vastly expensive pilot for ABC that centered on the survivors of a plane crash in the South Pacific. Despite this, Lost won a Golden Globe and Emmy Award for “Best Television Series” and “Best Drama” in its freshmen season.After the conclusion of Lost, Damon transitioned to film where we co-wrote and produced two Star Trek movies, and co-wrote the screenplay for the film adaptation of the comic series Cowboys & Aliens. He also co-wrote the screenplays for Ridley Scott’s Prometheus and Brad Bird’s Tomorrowland.In 2013, he co-created the television series The Leftovers, and served as showrunner and executive producer throughout the show’s three seasons. In addition to overseeing Watchmen, he recently wrote and produced the satirical big-screen thriller The Hunt, starring Betty Gilpin, Hillary Swank and Emma Roberts.REGINA KING, STARAs “Angela Abar”Twitter: @reginakingInstagram: @iamreginakingWith her down-to-earth beauty and winning personality, Regina King—a Dorian nominee for best TV actress for Watchmen and a Dorian film best-actress winner for If Beale Street Could Talk—could have made a career out of playing wives of leading men Eddie Murphy, Will Smith and Cuba Gooding, Jr., as she did in films like Daddy Day Care, Enemy of the State and Jerry Maguire. But her talents and outsize personality were destined to break out sooner or later. And sure enough, King stole the show with memorable supporting roles in Legally Blond 2 and Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Dangerous.It was her turn as R&B legend Ray Charles’ backup singer and lover, Margie Hendricks, in the acclaimed Ray that earned the actress considerable praise and recognition, leading to higher profile work and a regular role on the sixth season of 24. From there, King worked regularly both in features and on television, earning acclaim for her performances in the quirky indie comedy Year of the Dog and the Lifetime movie Living Proof, while voicing multiple characters on the animated series The Boondocks. Building on her exposure from 24, King was cast in a leading role for the gritty cop drama, Southland, which earned the actress further critical praise while cementing her status as a talented and versatile performer.King garnered further praise and recognition for her acting in American Crime, a critically claimed anthology series on ABC. King earned two Emmy Awards for her performance in the show. The Netflix crime drama Seven Seconds also drew more critical praise for King’s acting and earned her another Emmy.She starred in If Beale Street Could Talk, Barry Jenkins’ follow-up to the globally acclaimed Moonlight. Her portrayal of Sharon Rivers in the romantic drama earned King her first Academy Award® win.King is the recipient of various other accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and three Primetime Emmy Awards. Time magazine named King one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2019.KRISTIAN MILSTED, PRODUCTION DESIGNERTwitter: @MilstedKristianInstagram: @babazinziPrevious to helping bring Watchmen’s stunning and fantastical look to life, the London-based Milsted previously worked as a production designer for such television series as Secret Diary of a Call Girl and the Dorian-winning Killing Eve. His jobs have taken him from Barbados to Spain to Jordan. His most recent movie credit: The Duke, a stylish crime tale with Helen Mirren, Matthew Goode and Jim Broadbent about the theft of Goya masterpiece from a London museum in 1961.GREGORY MIDDLETON, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHYTwitter@middlecamInstagram: @middlecamProfessional websiteThe Canadian Middleton is an ace at helping put moods, tones and gorgeous images to film. Before working with Milsted, special effects experts and other cinematographers on Watchmen (whom he notes in his Dorian Award acceptance video), Middleton photographed TV hits like Psych and Kyle XY as well as episodes of such popular and vivid series as Smallville, Fringe, The Killing, Wayward Pines and Game of Thrones. His next big-screen credit as cinematographer comes next month via A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting, a family horror-comedy featuring Pose breakout Indya Moore.Sources: HBO; ©2020 AAE Speakers Bureau. All rights reserved; GALECA.org.Post Views: 322