White House Correspondents Insider

Behind the scenes of one of the most powerful clubs in America.

Media Stars Support Non-Profit Journalism On #GivingNewsDay

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Fox News Bret Baier and Wolf Blitzer in Washington, DC

November 28th is #GivingNewsDay, a day to give back to the hundreds of nonprofit newsrooms across the country. Donations up to $1000 will be doubled by NewsMatch, a national campaign to support nonprofit, local, and investigative news organizations. News Match 2017 was launched by Democracy Fund, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, and the MacArthur Foundation to give people an easy way to find quality newsrooms in their region.

Thousands have already gone on social media to promote and discuss nonprofit news, as well as encouraging others to join in this year’s efforts.

Visit NewsMatch.org to find a nonprofit newsroom and invest in quality journalism. NewsMatch will double your impact.

Production for Final Season of “Veep” Postponed, Accommodating Louis-Dreyfus’ Cancer Treatment

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Chris Godsick, MPAA Chairman Chris Dodd, Senator AL Franken, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Richard Plepler and Frank Rich. Photo courtesy Haddad Media

Production for the final season of HBO’s smash comedy Veep has been postponed, as six-time Emmy Award winner Julia Louis-Dreyfus undergoes treatment for breast cancer.

“Julia is undergoing treatment for breast cancer, and we’re obviously postponing production of the show — we were supposed to have started now – while she’s in treatment,” executive producer Frank Rich said on SiriusXM’s Press Pool. “But the expectation is that we will shoot again. We have one more season we’re doing, which we’re incredibly excited about. Rather impressively, while we wait for her to gather her full strength, around her treatment, we’ve been having with the cast in Los Angeles, table reads of scripts for the final season as they’re ready.”

Louis-Dreyfus announced in September – just one day after tying the record of legendary actress Cloris Leachman for most Emmys won by a performer – she had breast cancer.

“1 in 8 women get breast cancer. Today, I’m the one,” Louis-Dreyfus told fans in an Instagram post. “The good news is that I have the most glorious group of supportive and caring friends, and fantastic insurance through my union.”

Rich said that he had just seen Louis-Dreyfus on set 10 days before, as he “watched her just be hilarious playing Selina Meyer. With the cast all around her playing the assorted group of idiots that Selina has to deal with on a weekly basis on the show. So she’s got a great support system. She’s a very strong person and we can’t wait to welcome her back at full speed.”

CONGRATS! Veep Wins “Best Comedy”, Julia Louis-Dreyfus Makes Emmy History

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Veep billboard in Times Square. Photo courtesy Ron Cogswell.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus scored Emmy history Sunday night by winning “Best Actress in a Comedy Series” for the sixth consecutive year in a row.  In addition, the smash HBO series Veep, wherein Louis-Dreyfus plays ex-President Selina Meyer, took the top award for Outstanding Comedy Series for the third year in a row.

“We had a whole story line about impeachment, but we abandoned that because we were worried someone else may get there first,” Louis-Dreyfus said in her acceptance speech.  “This continues to be the role of a lifetime and an adventure of utter joy.”

In winning Best Actress this year, Louis-Dreyfus now holds the record for most Emmys won by an actor in the same role.  That distinction had been held by both Candice Bergen, who won top recognition five times for her landmark character Murphy Brown, and historic Don Knotts for his portrayal of Barney Fife on The Andy Griffith Show.

Louis-Dreyfus is now also tied with the legendary Cloris Leachman for most Primetime Emmys wins by a single performer.  Both women have won eight Emmys.

“I don’t know what to say about it other than I’m numb,” Louis-Dreyfus noted after the awards ceremony.  “I can’t believe it.  I adore Cloris Leachman.  All I think about is her in Young Frankenstein going ‘He was my boyfriend.’  I’m just incredibly honored and amazed this has happened to me.  It’s all very baffling and a sh—ton of good luck.”

Louis-Dreyfus beat out other supremely talented actresses for the top billing in comedy:  Better Thing’s Pamela Adlon, Black-ish’s Tracee Ellis Ross, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt’s Ellie Kemper, Grace and Frankie’s co-leads Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, and Mom’s Allison Janney.

Her series Veep also rocked the evening by taking home their third consecutive “Outstanding Comedy Series” Emmy.

Executive producer David Mandel joked about the comparison between his award-winning comedy series and the real-world White House.

“I guess I’m honestly just glad that in our world Selina lost so we get to do our own show.  Obviously the comparison is going to be drawn, but you’re not watching us do a scene in the Oval Office and then watching him do a scene in the Oval Office.  He ends up being the 30 Rock to our Studio 60.  I think they’re doing a better job being funnier,” Mandel said backstage at the awards ceremony.

The Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series faced tough competition from other fantastic shows this year, including HBO’s Silicon Valley, ABC’s Modern Family, FX’s Atlanta, Netflix’s Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, ABC’s Black-ish and Netflix’s Master of None.

Veep went into the evening as this year’s most nominated comedy series, with 17 total Emmy bids.  The show has been a nominee for best comedy series every year since its first season in 2012.

HBO announced earlier this month that Season Eight of Veep will be its last.  The final season will air in 2018.

Emmy Predictions! Entertainment Insiders Choose ‘Veep’ as Front-runner for Best Comedy Series

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Photo courtesy Haddad Media.

More and more experts are expecting the political comedy Veep to be victorious in winning the Emmy for Best Comedy Series this year.

According to the website GoldDerby.com, which tracks and analyzes entertainment award nominations, ten of the 16 entertainment journalists that have made predictions so far have revealed the smash HBO comedy has the advantage come September.

This year marks the sixth year in a row Veep has been nominated for Best Comedy Series, including winning the category both of the past two years.

The show has far more nominations than any other comedy this year, setting a high mark this time with 17 nominations, including Julia Louis-Dreyfus for Best Comedy Actress, Anna Chlumsky for Best Comedy Supporting Actress, Tony Hale and Matt Walsh each for Best Comedy Supporting Actor, Morgan Sackett, David Mandel and Dale Stern each for Best Comedy Directing, and Billy Kimball and David Mandel each for Best Comedy Writing.

The ten insiders predicting a Veep win this year include: Variety’s Debra Birnbaum, NPR’s Eric Deggans, TV Guide’s Joyce Eng, Gold Derby’s Tom O’Neil, TV Guide Magazine’s Matt Roush, Gold Derby’s Paul Sheehan, IndieWire’s Anne Thompson, Yahoo’s Ken Tucker, ESPN’s Adnan Virk, and LA Times’ Glenn Whipp.

 

Veep Renewed for Seventh Season on HBO

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Veep’s Matt Walsh helps to salute the veterans of @dogtagbakery and @NS2Serves at the 2017 Garden Brunch. Photo courtesy Haddad Media.

Award-winning political comedy Veep has been renewed for a seventh season on HBO, returning to television in 2018. All original cast members have also closed one-year deals to return in this new season.

The show has won a dozen Primetime Emmys to date, including five awards for best lead actress in a comedy series for Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Veep has also received Emmys for best comedy series twice – for its fourth and fifth seasons. Louis-Dreyfus has also received two SAG Awards, two Critics’ Choice Television Awards and one TCA Award for her work on the show, playing now-former President Selina Meyer.

The cast also includes Tony Hale, Anna Chlumsky, Matt Walsh, Reid Scott, Timothy Simons, Kevin Dunn, Gary Cole and Sam Richardson.

The current sixth season of Veep will run on HBO until June 25. The show is executive produced by David Mandel, Frank Rich, Louis-Dreyfus, Lew Morton and Morgan Sackett.

VEEP’s Matt Walsh Champions National Endowment for the Arts at Garden Brunch 2017

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Washington’s A-listers gathered with Hollywood celebrities at this year’s White House Correspondents Garden Brunch on the morning of the White House Correspondents Dinner to champion democracy and a free press and to speak up for worthy causes. Matt Walsh, who plays Press Secretary Mike McClintock on HBO’s VEEP and his wife, actress and cofounder of 10th Avenue Tea, Morgan Walsh, discussed their work championing the National Endowment for the Arts.

“We came here to support and advocate for [the National Endowment for the Arts]. We went around Congress trying to get people to appreciate that particular part of government support.”

VEEP Wins Peabody Award

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Photo courtesy Haddad Media.

HBO’s VEEP is among this year’s Peabody Award winners. Seven winners were included in the award including Beyonce’s Lemonade and FX’s “Atlanta”.

Thursday, April 20th The Peabody Awards Board of Jurors awarded seven Entertainment “stories that feature a powerhouse lineup of female characters, and dramas that break the mold of typical television fare.”

According to the Board of Jurors, Veep is a “rare show blessed with a perfectly cast ensemble, including the comedic genius of Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep is a workplace comedy that not only captures the zeitgeist of the current bizarre political moment but transcends its own form to deliver a sobering message, with sharp dialogue, street savvy—and lots of laughs.”

The Peabody Awards are based at the the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication.

More about the Peabody Awards here:
http://www.peabodyawards.com/stories/story/entertainment-winners-named-for-peabody-30

You can watch HBO’s VEEP here:
http://play.hbogo.com/series/urn:hbo:series:GVU2fLgkp0lFvjSoJAT_x

Veeples! Season Six Premieres On HBO!

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Photo courtesy Haddad Media.

After our long wait, Season Six of Veep has finally aired on HBO! As anticipated, all is not well with now ex-President Selina Meyer (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), a full year after being turned out of the White House by the House of Representatives. Post-presidency life is proving to be difficult, and Meyer responds with her characteristic foul-mouthed vigor.

Attempting to build her post-presidential foundation and sell her memoirs are proving to be a challenge for the ex-president. At the height of frustration, Meyer tells her family she is running for the White House again, only to have that door slammed shut as donors and her political party have turned against her campaigning again.

Showrunner David Mandel explains this was an important point to make at the outset of the season.

“If we didn’t squash the idea that she could run again right away, then her path would still be, ‘I’m going to run again.’ She’s moving forward and desperate with finding these things, like a manuscript for her book and a library, because she has to. If the audience doesn’t think she has to then they’ll be thinking, ‘Oh, she’s just going to run.’ We had to take that off the table.”

The rest of the crew starts out the season scattered across the country, except for her loyal staffer Gary (Tony Hale), who remains by the ex-president’s side. Chief of Staff Amy (Anna Chlumsky) is engaged to her new boss, Buddy Calhoun (Matt Obert), as she runs his campaign for governor out West. Press secretary Mike (Matt Walsh) is a stay-at-home dad caring for his adopted Chinese orphans. And even Jonah Ryan (Timothy Simons) keeps crying foul at obstacles thrown in his direction as he pretends to still have cancer to boost his new career as Congressman.

“Only Jonah would use his cancer. His comeuppance really comes from that moment with Dan,” said Mandel. “He’s a young Congressman looking for ways to separate himself and make a name for himself, and that’s exactly what he’s going to try and do.”

Back to Meyer and her thoughts on her life post-election? “This is the worst place an ex-president has ever been stuffed, and I’m including JFK’s coffin,” she gripes.

Creative Coalition’s “Right to Bear Arts” Day of Advocacy and Gala Dinner White House Correspondents Dinner Weekend

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Jawbone’s Hosain Rahman, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, Tammy Haddad and Tim Daly. Photo courtesy Haddad Media.

A delegation of Hollywood stars will arrive in Washington the weekend of the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner to promote and advocate funding for the arts.

The nonpartisan arts charity of the entertainment industry, The Creative Coalition will sponsor their annual gala and Advocacy Day, the “Right to Bear Arts,” the weekend of the Correspondent’s Dinner at the nation’s capitol.

Delegation members include Matt Walsh (“Veep”), Alyssa Milano (“Mistresses”), Justin Bartha (“The Hangover”), Wendi McLendon-Covey (“The Goldbergs”), Aaron Staton (“Mad Men”), Nick Sandow (“Orange is the New Black”), Denis O’Hare (“American Horror Story”) and Sarah Wayne Callies (“Prison Break”). Additional sponsors include the organization’s President actor Tim Daly (“Madam Secretary”) and Creative Coalition CEO Robin Bronk.

It had been speculated that Hollywood may sit out this year’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner weekend festivities as a protest against President Donald Trump. Trump announced on Twitter in February he would not attend the Correspondents’ dinner, which raises money for exceptional journalism scholarships and is a celebration of the First Amendment.

The dinner is Co-Chaired by Todd Hitt, Hitt Construction; Lori Gordon, Cardinal Health and Michael Mimeles.

The Creative Coalition was founded in 1989 by prominent members of the creative community. Its mission is to educate, mobilize and activate members on important issues in the arts and entertainment communities.

Attention Veeples! New Season Six Trailer!

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Photo courtesy Haddad Media.

Veep Showrunner David Mandel premiered a new trailer for Season Six during a panel at the SXSW Film Festival in Austin, Texas.

Moderated by NBC News host Chuck Todd, Mandel was accompanied on the panel by Veep actors Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Tony Hale, Reid Scott, Gary Cole, Anna Chlumsky, Timonthy Simons, Matt Walsh and Sam Richardson.

Asked if the show would address topics coming out of the Trump administration, Louis-Dreyfus explained that story-line wouldn’t make sense in the show.

“I think that we’ve set up this premise for our show which is this alternative political universe. And we don’t have any real-life celebrities on the show, we don’t have real-life journalists, and frankly in terms of actual political history, we don’t really reference anybody beyond Ronald Reagan.”

Mandel concluded that the show will continue to attempt a bipartisan punchline in most topics. “For the most part, I think we’re sort of equal opportunity cynical. We’ll just as soon do a joke about cutting an arts budget as we will a gun joke or something. We go both sides.”

Season Six of Veep premieres on HBO April 16th.