TV

La estrella de "Will & Grace" Eric McCormack ha salido en defensa de los actores heterosexuales que interpretan a personajes gays en la pantalla, señalando que asumir papeles diferentes es la razón de ser de un actor.

El actor -que es heterosexual en la vida real e interpretó al famoso protagonista gay Will en la exitosa comedia de NBC- dijo a "Good Morning Britain" de ITV que se trata de elegir a la mejor persona para el papel, independientemente de su identidad personal.

Eric se basa en su propia experiencia en la industria, diciendo que no se convirtió en actor solo para interpretar versiones de sí mismo, sino que siempre ha aceptado papeles en los que interpreta a alguien totalmente diferente de lo que es.

"Es parte del trabajo. Y siempre he dicho que si a los actores homosexuales no se les permitiera interpretar a actores heterosexuales, Broadway se acabaría".

Aunque los papeles de Eric no reflejen directamente su propia vida, eso no significa que escatime en investigación. A la hora de interpretar a Will, sacó lo mejor de sí mismo recurriendo a su formación teatral y al hecho de que muchos de sus mejores amigos eran gays... canalizando su espíritu en el papel.

Funcionó muy bien, "Will & Grace" -protagonizada por Debra Messing, Sean Hayes y Megan Mullally- funcionó durante 8 temporadas, entre 1998 y 2006, y agregó 3 temporadas de reunión de 2017 a 2020.

"Will & Grace" star Eric McCormack is stepping up to defend straight actors who play gay characters on screen -- pointing out that taking on roles different from oneself is the whole point of being an actor.

The actor, who is straight IRL and also famously portrayed gay protagonist Will in the hit NBC sitcom, told ITV's "Good Morning Britain" ... it's all about casting the best person for the role, regardless of their personal identity.

Eric's drawing on his own experience in the industry, saying he didn't become an actor just to play versions of himself -- rather, he's always embraced roles where he's portraying someone entirely different from who he is.

He says, "It's part of the gig. And, I've always said, if gay actors weren't allowed to play straight actors, Broadway would be over."

Even though Eric's roles might not directly mirror his own life, that doesn't mean he skimps on the research. When it came to portraying Will, he brought his A-game by drawing on his theater background and the fact that many of his closest friends were gay ... channeling their spirit into the role.

Worked out pretty damn well ... "Will & Grace" -- costarring Debra Messing, Sean Hayes and Megan Mullally -- ran for 8 seasons from 1998 to 2006, and added 3 reunion seasons from 2017 to 2020.

Drake Bell está atacando a otras estrellas infantiles de Nickelodeon por sacar a la luz su abuso. Resulta que el equipo de "Ned's Declassified" parece encontrar algo de comedia en todo esto.

Devon Werkheiser, Lindsey Shaw y otros que solían trabajar en su antiguo programa de Nick, estaban grabando un TikTok Live el lunes -esto mientras la segunda mitad de "Quiet on Set" salía al aire en ID- y parecían estar haciendo bromas a expensas de Drake y otros.

Devon y compañía discutieron el documental y personificaron a un tirano, presumiblemente Dan Schneider, diciendo "dame tus agujeros".

Devon reconoce justo después de que no deberían bromear al respecto y Drake ciertamente está de acuerdo. Drake tuiteó el video añadiendo: "Ned's Declassless... esto es salvaje... ríanse chicos... ríanse... Dame tus agujeros" ¡¿En serio?!"

Devon intenta ser serio por un momento en su IG Live, señalando que lo que le pasó a Drake es terrible y agregando que es una locura que lo haya tenido en secreto durante tanto tiempo.

También dice que equipo de '"ND" no era como se describe en el documental de los niños bajo la mirada de Schneider. Aun así, siguió riéndose con sus antiguos compañeros de reparto, lo que no le sentó bien a Drake, y definitivamente a la gente en línea.

Es comprensible que el equipo de "Ned" esté siendo destrozado en este momento, francamente, lo que Drake y compañía revelaron es extremadamente grave, por no decir inquietante.

Además de los abusos de Drake a manos de Brian Peck, varias otras ex estrellas infantiles afirmaron que fueron maltratadas mientras trabajaban en Nick, y otros sugirieron que los showrunners y los escritores a menudo intentaban sexualizar a muchos de los niños de maneras no tan sutiles.

Hay un montón de sketches y disfraces, por no hablar de los gags de baba -lo cuales están volviendo demostrando ser terriblemente inapropiados- a pesar de que Dan Shneider ha negado haber acutado mal.

Nickelodeon comentó: "Aunque no podemos corroborar o negar las acusaciones de comportamientos de producciones de hace décadas, Nickelodeon como una cuestión de política, investiga todas las quejas formales como parte de nuestro compromiso de fomentar un ambiente de trabajo seguro y profesional libre de acoso u otros tipos de conducta inapropiada".

Y añaden: "Nuestras máximas prioridades son el bienestar y los mejores intereses. No solo de nuestros empleados, elencos y equipo, sino de todos los niños, y hemos adoptado diferentes métodos a lo largo de los años para ayudar a garantizar que estamos a la altura de nuestros propios altos estándares y las expectativas de nuestra audiencia".

Drake Bell is blasting other Nickelodeon child stars for making light of his abuse -- specifically, going after the 'Ned's Declassified' crew ... who seem to find some humor in it.

Devon Werkheiser, Lindsey Shaw and others who used to work on their old Nick show were recording a TikTok Live Monday -- this as the second half of the 'Quiet on Set' doc aired on ID -- and they appeared to be cracking jokes at Drake and others' expense.

One of the jabs Devon and co. dropped while discussing the 'QOS' doc included him impersonating a tyrant, presumably Dan Schneider, saying "give me your holes."

Devon acknowledges right after that they shouldn't joke about the topic -- and DB himself certainly agreed ... taking to X to call him out. Drake quote-tweeted the vid, adding ... "Ned’s Declassless…this is wild…laugh it up guys…laugh it up…”Give me your h*les?!!” Really?!"

Devon does attempt to be serious at one point in his IG Live ... noting that what happened to Drake is terrible -- acknowledging it's crazy it stayed under wraps for as long as it did.

He also says that their set from 'ND' was not in any way like what was described in the doc from child actors who worked under Schneider's reign. Still, he continued to giggle with his old costars ... which didn't sit well with Drake, and definitely not with others online.

It's understandable that the 'Ned's' camp is getting trashed right now ... frankly, what Drake and co. revealed on the doc is extremely serious -- not to mention downright disturbing.

In addition to Drake's abuse at the hands of Brian Peck -- several other former child stars claimed they were mistreated while working at Nick ... and others suggested the showrunners and writers were often attempting to sexualize a lot of the kids in not-so-subtle ways.

There are a lot of sketches and costumes -- not to mention slime gags -- that are resurfacing now that come across as wildly inappropriate ... even though DS has denied wrongdoing.

Nickelodeon commented, saying ... "Though we cannot corroborate or negate allegations of behaviors from productions decades ago, Nickelodeon as a matter of policy investigates all formal complaints as part of our commitment to fostering a safe and professional workplace environment free of harassment or other kinds of inappropriate conduct."

They add, "Our highest priorities are the well-being and best interests not just of our employees, casts and crew, but of all children, and we have adopted numerous safeguards over the years to help ensure we are living up to our own high standards and the expectations of our audience."

It's Tuesday, and let's just say we started the week strong here at TMZ ... especially on TV.

Kicking things off on "TMZ Live," we actually broke a big story in publishing the first video of Kate Middleton out and about and on her own two feet since December -- which hopefully puts all the rumors to rest, especially now that we can see she seems to be doing just fine.

The footage shows her looking relatively healthy and happy. So ... much ado about nothin'?

Next up, we have "TMZ on TV," where the gang talked about Ben Affleck's latest reason to be sad -- namely, the fact that he and Jennifer Lopez's car suffered a flat tire this weekend.

It was pretty funny to see them deal with it ... and even funnier to talk about on the show.

Finally, we land on "TMZ Sports" ... where Babcock and Mojo talked about wrestler Bully Ray.

Check your local listings for when TMZ is on in your area or catch up on past episodes!

Dan Schneider has again denied allegations of a toxic workplace while he was at Nickelodeon ... including claims that child actors were sexualized on shows he created.

A rep for the veteran TV producer -- the man behind hit Nickelodeon shows like "The Amanda Show" and "Drake & Josh" -- says there's no truth to the allegations floated in 'Quiet on Set' ... asserting that numerous adults were involved in overseeing all aspects of the shows, with everything being approved by the network itself.

The statement further clarifies that scripts for the shows underwent a rigorous vetting process, requiring approvals from both NYC and L.A. networks ... and if anything was found to be inappropriate it would've been flagged and blocked by multilayered scrutiny.

The statement reads in part ... "Remember, all stories, dialogue, costumes, and makeup were fully approved by network executives on two coasts. A standards and practices group read and ultimately approved every script, and programming executives reviewed and approved all episodes."

As well as ensuring the scripts were kid-appropriate ... parents, caregivers, and their friends would be on set every day watching filming and rehearsals, Dan's camp adds.

Schneider's statement comes after the first 2 installments of ID's doc, "Quiet on the Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV," premiered ... in which claims surfaced that some of his shows appeared to sexualize child stars like Ariana Grande and Jamie Lynn Spears in specific scenes.

The doc also delves deeper into claims of sexism, racism, and inappropriate behavior involving underage stars and members of the shows overseen by Schneider -- as well as allegations from crew members they were continuously asked to massage Schneider on set.

8:38 AM PT -- Fuentes directas le dicen a TMZ que Ayo Edebiri y Paul Mescal son solo amigos.

Paul Mescal y Ayo Edebiri se tomaron una foto juntos para celebrar el Día de San Patricio y podemos asegurar que están comprometidos con la celebración irlandesa.

La estrella de "Bear" tiene su mano en el hombro del actor en esta foto, la cual publicó en Insta para celebrar el domingo de San Patricio, y él se ve bastante cariñoso también.

La sonrisa en la cara de Ayo lo dice todo, realmente está muy feliz.

Los fans ciertamente sintieron la misma vibra, especulando de que podrían estar saliendo. Algunos los llamaron una linda pareja, otros dijeron que también se veían bien como amigos.

Mientras que la fábrica de rumores sigue en marcha, esto podría ser un caso de amigos pasando el rato, ya que no hay signos besos o caricias.

Resumiendo... Ayo va por ahí insistiendo en que es irlandesa y se siente como si estuviera en "The Banshees of Inisherin", y debido a su amor por Irlanda, Irlanda parece amarla de vuelta.

8:38 AM PT -- Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Ayo Edebiri and Paul Mescal are just friends.

Paul Mescal and Ayo Edebiri took a photo together to celebrate St. Patrick's Day -- and there's two takeaways ... she's committed to her Irish bit, and they may possibly be a thing.

The "Bear" star has her hand on the Irish actor's shoulder in this picture she threw up on IG to celebrate St. Paddy's Sunday -- and he's pretty into it, with his arm casually draped across her lap.

The grin on Ayo's face kinda says it all ... she's more than comfortable in PM's company.

Fans certainly felt the same vibe ... going into overdrive with speculation that they may be dating. Some called them a cute couple, others said they looked good as friends too.

While the rumor mill is in full swing, this could obviously just be pals hanging out -- as there's no explicit signs of PDA to suggest this is anything romantic. If anything, this might just be Ayo continuing to lean into her "Irish" heritage ... a bit she's been into for a year or so now.

Long story short ... Ayo goes around insisting she's Irish and that she was in "The Banshees of Inisherin" -- and because of her love for Ireland, Ireland seems to love her right back.

Paul, of course, is Irish himself ... and he's known to be friends with Ayo -- so in all seriousness, this is probably just him helping his bud keep the gag going.

Originally Published -- 7:32 AM PT

Frédéric Prinz von Anhalt wants to have a child, but he says he's a bit too old to adopt ... so he's looking for a Gen-Z'er to carry his baby.

We spoke with Zsa Zsa Gabor's widow in Bev Hills, and he told us he's gotten lots of marriage proposals since Gabor died back in 2016 ... but he's not looking to shack up with some older woman. Instead, he wants someone young and ready to pop out his child.

Frédéric -- who just turned 80 -- says he's been scouring Europe, and now the United States, for the right person to carry his child and carry on his legacy, and Zsa Zsa's too.

As for the baby-makin' part ... Frédéric assures us everything is in working order down there -- adding Viagra's been an absolute miracle for him.

FPVA points out tons of older dudes are gettin' their younger women pregnant ... just take Robert De Niro and Al Pacino for example, who were both around the same age as von Anhalt when they had their kids last year.

Hold your horses, potential suitors ... 'cause this playboy's not just looking for any woman -- he's got a few must-haves on his list. Take a listen for yourself ... sounds like von Anhalt's got a particular kinda girl in mind.

Frédéric's not wasting any time either ... he says he's already been on a few dates and wants the bun in the oven within the next year!

You may remember, von Anhalt adopted a 27-year-old back in 2022 to carry on his legacy ... but -- after the A&E "Adults Adopting Adults" reality show was canceled -- von Anhalt told us he didn't want to be an adoptive father anymore. Kinda strange because Thursday he said that actually wasn't the truth, and insisted his adopted son Kevin actually ran off on him.

Bryan Hearne ha hablado, y ha comparado el trabajo en Nickelodeon con una cámara de torturas, afirmando que fue víctima de racismo.

El actor infantil -que apareció en 16 episodios del programa de sketches "All That", así como otros programas de Nick- trabajó con Investigation Discovery para la docuserie "Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV", y People reveló gran parte de lo que dijo.

Una de las mayores revelaciones es que Bryan -un hombre afroamericano- dice que un adulto le llamó "pedazo de carbón" mientras trabajaba para la red. No está claro cuál fue el contexto del comentario, pero, en cualquier caso, es algo bastante horrible,

También habla de haber sido elegido para papeles estereotípicamente racistas, dice que interpretó a un traficante de drogas en el programa y también a un rapero llamado Lil Fetus, que le implicaba llevar un leotardo de color carne... básicamente desnudo ante la cámara.

Hearne dice que Lil Fetus es una de las muchas cosas incómodas que se vio obligado a hacer mientras trabajaba para Nick. En otra ocasión, tuvo que dejar que un perro lamiera mantequilla de maní de su cuerpo.

Bryan dice que no sentía que podía tener una discusión con los adultos a su alrededor acerca de su incomodidad, y comparó toda la experiencia Nickelodeon a estar en una cámara de tortura4s.

Por supuesto, "Quiet On Set" ha estado en todas las noticias y redes sociales recientemente porque Drake Bell reveló que fue abordado de manera inapropiada por el entrenador de actuación Brian Peck mientras trabajaba para la red.

Bell dijo que trabajó con la policía para obtener una confesión después de que él dijera que había sido agredido sexualmente por Peck varias veces. Finalmente, Peck se declaró inocente de realizar un acto lascivo con un menor de 14 o 15 años y de copulación oral con un menor de 16 años.

Hearne aparece en el tráiler del documental revelando que Bell contaría su historia, con Bryan diciendo que inmediatamente se preguntó quién fue agredido una vez que Peck fue expuesto.

Bryan Hearne is speaking out ... comparing working for Nickelodeon to a torture chamber -- and claiming he faced blatant racism on the job.

The child actor -- who appeared on 16 episodes of the sketch show "All That" as well as other Nick shows -- sat down with Investigation Discovery for the docuseries "Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV" ... and People revealed a ton of what he's apparently going to say.

One of the biggest revelations ... Bryan -- a Black man -- says an adult called him a "piece of charcoal" while he worked for the network. Unclear what the context of the comment was -- but, regardless a horrible thing to say to a teenager.

BH also reportedly talks about being cast in stereotypically racist roles -- he says he played a drug dealer on the show and also a rapper called Lil Fetus which involved him wearing a flesh-toned leotard ... essentially looking naked on camera.

Hearne says Lil Fetus is one of the many super uncomfortable things he was forced to do while working for Nick ... also the time he had to let a dog lick peanut butter off his body.

Bryan says he didn't feel he could have a discussion with the adults around him about his discomfort ... and likened the whole Nickelodeon experience to being in a torture chamber.

Of course, 'Quiet On Set' has been all over the news and social media recently because Drake Bell revealed he was molested by acting coach Brian Peck while working for the network.

Bell said he worked with police to get a confession from Brian on tape after he says he'd been sexually assaulted by Peck multiple times. Peck eventually pled no contest to performing a lewd act with a 14 or 15-year-old and oral copulation with a minor under 16.

Hearne's in the trailer for the documentary revealing Bell would tell his story ... with Bryan saying he immediately wondered who was assaulted once Peck was exposed.

Scott Disick salió para disfrutar de una comida abundante con algunos amigos cercanos en un lugar muy popular de L.A., y podemos percatarnos de que ha perdido mucho peso.

La estrella de telerrealidad y ex de una Kardashian llegó a Catch Steak en Los Ángeles el viernes, y a juzgar por las fotos... parece que llegó con un gran grupo.

También parece que Scott ha perdido un poco de peso -más sobre esto a continuación- ya que se paseaba por la calle con su amigo, Jordan Barrett, un modelo de moda muy famoso y muy guapo.

Además, estaba sentado junto a una mujer misteriosa. Ni idea de si hay algo entre ellos, pero Scott es un soltero bastante elegible, por lo que no hay que descartar todas las posibilidades.

Ahora, en cuanto a la pérdida de peso, está claro que Scott se ve mucho más delgado que en el pasado. Él está usando ropa holgada, lo cual podría exagerar las cosas, pero sigue siendo evidente que algo ha cambiado.

Sabemos que Scott ha estado centrado en su peso los últimos meses, un tema que se tocó en la temporada más reciente de "The Kardashians".

Recordemos que Khloé Kardashian lo llevó a un médico para hablar sobre su lesión en la espalda, la cual se lastimó durante un accidente de carro bastante intenso en 2022. Le dijo al médico que el accidente le hizo ganar algo de peso y también disminuyó su destreza sexual.

No está claro qué es exactamente lo que ha motivado su pérdida de peso, pero Scott parecía estar disfrutando la noche del viernes, así que todo parece ir relativamente bien.

Scott Disick stepped out for a hearty meal with some close companions ... hitting up a popular L.A. hot spot alongside friends -- and it seems he's lost lots of weight.

The reality star and Kardashian ex hit up Catch Steak in Los Angeles Friday, and just check out the pics ... looks like a pretty deep crew chowed down with the father-of-three.

It also seems Scott's lost a bit of weight -- more on that later -- as he cruised down the street with his homie Jordan Barrett ... a pretty famous fashion model and real good-lookin' dude.

He was also seated next to a mystery woman ... no idea if there's anything going on between the two, but Scott's a pretty eligible bachelor, so it's not outside the realm of possibility.

Now as for the weight loss ... it seems clear Scott's a good deal skinnier than he's been in the past. He is wearing some baggy clothes, so it could easily be overblown by the wardrobe, but it's still evident.

We know Scott's been focused on his weight in recent months ... a topic broached during the most recent season of "The Kardashians."

Remember ... Khloé Kardashian took him to a doctor to talk about his back injury -- one he says he sustained during a pretty nasty car crash back in 2022. He told the doc the crash led to him gaining some weight and also diminished his sexual prowess.

Unclear exactly what's motivated the weight loss ... but Scott seemed to be enjoying himself Friday night -- so all seems relatively normal with him.

Kim Kardashian and her son, Saint, sat courtside at the Los Angeles Lakers game Saturday night, leading a small group of big celebs who showed up for the event.

As per, Kim looked stunning in a tight white t-shirt and black leather pants while parked alongside 8-year-old Saint at Crypto.com Arena in downtown LA.

At one point, Kim posed for paparazzi by putting her arm around her little guy who was dressed in his Lakers jersey, leaving no doubt as to who he was rooting for.

Kim was also snapped chatting with some fans and Saint even flashed a peace sign for the camera!

Meanwhile, Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck enjoyed their courtside seats, watching the matchup while holding each other's hands. The couple seemed pretty chill as they hung out with Ben's 12-year-old son, Samuel.

And that's not all ... singers Bad Bunny was also in the crowd to see the Warriors and Lakers take it to the hoop.

And in the world of sports, tennis legend Novak Djokovic was front and center to see the Warriors take the W, 128-121.

After the game, J Lo gave Bunny a little hug as Ben shook hands with some of the Golden State players.

Kim Kardashian y su hijo, Saint, estuvieron en la cancha en el partido de Los Angeles Lakers el sábado por la noche, encabezando un pequeño grupo de grandes celebridades que se presentaron en el evento.

Como de costumbre, Kim se veía impresionante en una camiseta blanca ajustada y pantalones de cuero negro, y a su lado estaba el pequeño de 8 años de edad en Crypto.com Arena en el centro de Los Ángeles.

En un momento dado, Kim posó para los paparazzi rodeando con el brazo a su pequeño, que iba vestido con su camiseta de los Lakers,para no dejar dudas de a quién animaba.

Kim también fue fotografiada charlando con algunos fans y Saint incluso hizo el signo de la paz para la cámara.

Mientras tanto, Jennifer López y Ben Affleck disfrutaron de sus asientos en la cancha, viendo el partido mientras se tomaban de la mano. La pareja parecía bastante relajada mientras pasaban el rato con el hijo de 12 años de Ben, Samuel.

Y eso no es todo, Bad Bunny también estaba entre la multitud para ver a los Warriors y a los Lakers dándolo todo.

Representando al mundo de los deportes, estaba la leyenda del tenis Novak Djokovic, viendo como los Warriors dominaban 128-121.

Después del partido, J Lo le dio un pequeño abrazo a Bunny mientras Ben estrechaba la mano de algunos de los jugadores de Golden State.

Diamond Dallas Page might not be where he is today if it weren't for Paul Heyman ... 'cause DDP tells TMZ Sports the legendary wrestling personality actually helped launch his career!!

Page said the assist came many decades ago ... after Diamond sent the American Wrestling Association -- where Heyman worked at the time as "Paul E. Dangerously" -- an audition tape of him "managing" a group of aspiring wrestlers.

Initially, Page said the org. laughed at the submission ... after it found out neither he nor the wrestlers he filmed with had any sort of real experience.

But, DDP said after Heyman left the Association for the National Wrestling Alliance ... AWA execs gave him a call about potentially filling Heyman's boisterous void.

Of course, DDP stepped in ... and the rest was history.

"If Paul Heyman does not leave there," Page said, "that spot never opens up. So I have always been a Heyman guy."

Page went on to congratulate Heyman on his upcoming induction to the WWE Hall of Fame -- adding he believes the microphone maestro could have made it even without his most recent twenty-or-so years in the squared circle!!