Today's Entertainment

2 • October 15 - 21, 2017 • Brainerd Dispatch By Jacqueline Spendlove TV Media W hen Jay Pharoah said goodbye to his "Saturday Night Live" spot last year, fans were quick to voice their shock and disappoint- ment. The rapper, standup comedi- an and impressionist extraordinaire had become a well-loved cog in the "SNL" machine during his six-year tenure, and his abrupt departure came as an unpleasant surprise to many. Nobody stays on "SNL" forever, though, and for Pharoah, as for so many others before him, the long- running sketch show was simply a stepping stone to bigger things — assuming, that is, his latest venture takes off. "White Famous" is a new comedy coming to Showtime, and stars Pharoah in a role that draws loosely on the pre- fame life of megastar Ja- mie Foxx ("Django Un- chained," 2012), who's an executive produc- er for the series. The show premieres Sunday, Oct. 15. According to Showtime, "White Famous" is "a new comedy about try- ing to make it with- out losing your soul." Pharoah plays Floyd Mooney, an up- and-coming black comedian trying to maintain his integrity — and his sanity — as he crosses the divide into achieving big-time fame. The series follows Floyd as he navigates that road to the next level of Holly- wood success, without losing him- self along the way. "You always root for Floyd. It feels like he can be himself and still make a way, somehow," Pharoah said of his character in a promo vid- eo for the show. The series also stars Utkarsh Am- budkar ("Pitch Perfect," 2012) as Malcolm, Floyd's agent who wants him to do whatever it takes to achieve stardom, and Jacob Ming- Trent ("Feed the Beast") as Ron Balls, Floyd's voice-of-reason room- mate. Cleopatra Coleman ("The Last Man on Earth") plays Sadie, Floyd's ex-girl- friend and baby mama to his young son, Trev- or (Lonnie Chavis, "This Is Us"). Stephen Tobolowsky ("Silicon Valley") guest stars in the pilot, re- prising his "Californication" role as movie producer Stu Beggs. Tom Kap- inos, "Californication's" creator, also created — you guessed it — "White Famous," and Stu isn't the only char- acter who crosses over this season: Keep an eye out for Meagan Good ("Think Like a Man," 2012) and Nat- alie Zea ("Justified"), both of whom appear as their "Californication" characters. Michael Rapaport ("The War at Home"), Jack Davenport ("Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl," 2003) and Kendrick Sampson ("How to Get Away with Murder") are all slated to appear in the 10-episode freshman season as well. Much of the show's material comes from real experiences that Foxx — now an Emmy-, Golden Globe- and Grammy-winning A-lister — had as his star was still rising. "I came up from standup comedy, so to be able to share that aspect of my life on screen with a project like 'White Famous' is incredibly exciting," the actor said in a statement. Besides his work behind the scenes, Foxx plays himself in a re- curring role in the series. In the pilot, he has what turns out to be an awk- ward meeting with Floyd at the urg- ing of Beggs, and Floyd is non- plussed to find that the actor is wearing what appears to be a cheerleader skirt. While it's Foxx's past that lays the groundwork for the series, the mate- rial is not such a far cry from Pharoah's own experiences as well. Like his character, Pharoah doesn't feel that making it big in the enter- tainment industry means that an ac- tor has to sacrifice the person he is, or bow to the whim of every Hollywood bigwig. It's an issue he had during his "SNL" tenure, however much he re- spects and appreciates the show and its creator, Lorne Michaels. "They put people in boxes and whatever they want you to do, they expect you to do," he explained in a radio interview with Hot97 after his departure from "SNL." "And I'm fi- ery. I'm not a yes [man]." Whatever bits he may have re- fused to participate in, Pharoah was a memorable presence in the "SNL" cast from the time that he first joined the show in 2010. His impres- sions are truly uncanny, and he quickly became known for his near- flawless portrayals of black celebri- ties and politicians, including Jay-Z, Ben Carson, Denzel Washington and Barack Obama. While viewers loved the bits, Pharoah felt he was being underutilized. Safe to say that will hardly be the case in "White Famous," which is the network's second recent se- ries about standup comedians. The dramedy "I'm Dying Up Here," pro- duced by Jim Carrey ("The Truman Show," 1998), aired its first season over the summer, and follows a group of young comedians trying to find success in Los Angeles in the early 1970s. The series features Melissa Leo ("The Fighter," 2010), Clark Duke ("Hot Tub Time Ma- chine," 2010), Ari Graynor ("Bad Teacher") and others, and has been renewed for a second season. While landing a spot on the cast of "Saturday Night Live" was no doubt one of the highest points of Pharoah's career so far, leaving it may just prove to be even better for him. With a hot new comedy to headline on his own terms, the fun- nyman is going nowhere but up. Catch the premiere of "White Fa- mous" when it airs Sunday, Oct. 15, on Showtime. Jay Pharoah headlines new Showtime comedy 'White Famous' Cover Story this week Jacob Ming-Trent in "White Famous" Conan Apple CEO Tim Cook is claiming that the $1,000 iPhone X is a good value. Cook said, "It's the last phone you'll ever need for the next eight months." The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon The UN General Assembly kicked off today, and I read that 193 countries will be attending. Yep, they're all committed to one goal: making New York City traffic a total nightmare. The Late Show With Stephen Colbert I'd like to wish my Jewish viewers a happy Rosh Hashanah. I hope I'm pronouncing that correctly. I don't know, none of my Jewish writers are here today. The Late Late Show With James Corden In a speech to the United Nations General Assembly this morning, Donald Trump told world leaders that the UN needs to reform itself because it's ineffective due to bureaucracy and mismanagement. And for the first time, every nation on Earth had a reason to come together: to roll their eyes at Donald Trump. Late Night With Seth Meyers An 83-year-old grandfather in California recently pushed a suspected burglar off his roof. Neighbors are calling it shocking, while the roofer is calling it the last time he works on that house. The Italian restaurant chain "Villa Italian Kitchen" is adding a new pumpkin spice pizza to its menu. And if you like that, you're gonna love Starbucks' new linguini mocha. Late Laughs Match of the Month October For more information about Kinship Partners, please call (218)-829-4606 or visit our website at www.kinshippartners.org Be a Friend. Be a Mentor. Photography donated by Connie's Studio of Photography Why not start your own friendship journey? Kinship Partners is pleased to honor Maribeth Grimsby and Tilla (aka Tilly) as our Match of the Month. Maribeth and Tilla (aka Tilly) have been together for over 2 years. Maribeth says it's fun to be a mentor because she and Tilly enjoy the same things: crafting, eating, baking, walking and talking. They occasionally even go fishing! These two also enjoy playing games together, Tilly says they both love to win! Maribeth and Tilly simply enjoy each other's company and all the positive experiences they share together. Congratulations Maribeth and Tilly on your Match of the Month! We hope you continue to share some great memories as you make an impact in one another's lives. Kinship Partners Inc. 001632094r1 S E A M L E S S "EXPERIENCE THE ADVANTAGE" Advantage Seamless, Inc. 218-270-2663 or 888-570-5778 WWW.ADVANTAGESEAMLESSGUTTERS.COM THE BEST DEFENSE IN GUTTER PROTECTION AMERICA'S FIRST HIGH FLOW SYSTEM™ S E A M L E S S THE BEST DEFENSE IN GUTTER PROTECTION COUPON *** Must do entire home. Must book project by 10/31/17 *** Call 1-888-570-5778. Must present coupon at the time of consultation. We will match any competitor coupons. Cannot be combined with other offers. % OFF FULL HOME VALOR GUTTER GUARD SYSTEM 001632126r1 001632126r1

• Cover