Richard Johnson: Moriarty winging it while in Great Kills, the neighborhood
Cathy Moriarty, who grew up in The Bronx, isn’t a big fan of Staten Island.
But the actress, who exploded into stardom playing Jake LaMotta’s wife in “Raging Bull,” filmed the second season of “Great Kills” there.
“I didn’t want to do it. I’m too lazy. I don’t go to Staten Island for anything,” Moriarty told me.
But her friendship with the show’s producer and star, Steve Stanulis, won out.
The two have known each other for decades, and both are parents of three, including twins.
Great Kills is a neighborhood in Staten Island, but also refers to the plot. Stanulis is a hit man being shot by documentary filmmakers. Moriarty plays a mob boss.
The cast, which includes Bai Ling and Eric Roberts playing himself, improvise and create their own dialogue.
“We have a structure of what the scene should be, and then we wing it,” Stanulis said.
In one scene where Moriarty seemed particularly emotional, “I was getting scared,” Stanulis said. “But she took it and owned it, and ran with it.”
“Great Kills,” a Tubi original show, was ranked No. 3 on the top 50 new shows of 2023. Season 2 will be released in the fall.
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The hit reality show “Family Stallone” saved Sly’s marriage to Jennifer Flavin, insiders claim.
Jennifer, a Hollywood widow due to Stallone’s busy shooting schedule, was ready to divorce him in 2022. But with the reality show giving Flavin a creative outlet, all is well in the world.
“Moving to Palm Beach has also smoothed bumps in the road,” said one source.
The Stallone family is enjoying the Florida lifestyle of horses, polo and golf. Sly and his daughters were spotted at a recent show of vintage Ferraris at The Breakers.
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Showbiz newcomer Gaby Kono learned that persistence pays. The producer and co-star of the upcoming flick “Wish You Were Here,” based on the bestseller by Renee Carlino, fell in love with the book while living in California.
Kono kept reaching out to the author for two years until Carlino finally agreed to meet her. The romance is set to be released by Phiphen Studios next year.
Julia Stiles makes her directorial debut with Kelsey Grammer, who is living in the UK these days, plus Jennifer Grey, Isabel Fuhrman and Mena Massoud.
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AskReddit was recently queried, “What are the craziest declassified CIA documents?”
Among the 19 answers was the Cold War condom drop: “One CIA operative drew up a plan to have packets of extra-large condoms, labeled ‘small’ dropped on the USSR. The idea was to lower their morale during the Cold War.”
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Madonna fans won’t be surprised to see her pop up at the new musical “Lempicka,” about the bisexual Polish artist Tamara de Lempicka opening on Broadway March 19.
Madge is an avid collector of the artist.
The new show, fronted by former “Wicked” star Eden Espinosa, will bring to life the racy antics of the artist whose collectors include Jack Nicholson and Barbara Streisand.
If the Material Girl wants to splash out for a new sketch, M.S. Rau is selling “Portrait d’Homme à Lunettes” for $19,500. The New Orleans gallery sold de Lempicka’s most famous painting, “Autoportrait,” for $1.25 million.
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Out & About: Sofia Vergara’s ex-husband Joe Manganiello, who hosts “Deal or No Deal Island,” presented a Hollywood Beauty Award to Ming-Na Wen, who voiced the lead in the Disney movie “Mulan” and was a schoolmate of Manganiello at Mt. Lebanon High School in Pennsylvania … Sharon Bush, Kimberly Paige Bluhm and designers Andy Stark and Campion Platt were among those attending Iris Dankner’s Holiday House breast cancer benefit at Colony Hotel in Palm Beach … Top divorce attorney Ken Jewell talking with influencer Sofie Mahlkvist about the importance of prenups for young brides at La Goulue.
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