The Meet The Parents movies are set to come back as the first sequel in over 15 years, following the announcement that Focker-In-Law is officially set to be part of 2026 movie releases. Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro, Owen Wilson, Blythe Danner and Teri Polo are all set to return to the franchise, and Ariana Grande and Superman’s Skyler Gisondo are set to join them. But a “popular question” over the weekend for Ben Stiller ahead of this past Sunday’s Emmys was all about if Barbra Streisand is involved.

Ben Stiller Weighs In On Getting Barbra Streisand In Focker-In-Law

As you may recall, the legendary actress played Roz, the mother of Stiller’s Greg Focker, alongside Dustin Hoffman’s Bernie back in the 2004 sequel, Meet The Fockers, and then in 2010’s Little Fockers (both of which were box office hits). But will Streisand be in Focker-In-Law? Here’s what Stiller had to say when he was asked by E! News on the Emmys carpet:

During the interview that had Stiller there for Severance having the most Emmy nominations of the night, it was clear that he'd had been asked a few times before the 2025 Emmys were announced about the possibility of Streisand returning to the role of Mrs. Focker. Stiller’s wife, Christine Taylor, quipped that it was a “very popular question” that night.

Barbra Streisand's Viral Comments On Her Meet The Focker's Salary

Well, there’s actually a big reason why a lot of journalists must have been asking Stiller that question. Back in June, Streisand was asked the same question, and she revealed that she didn’t feel she got paid enough on the comedy and was “pissed off” about it. The 83-year-old actress shared that she’d only come back if they paid her “a lot of money” this time around. In her words:

Streisand didn’t say how much she made for the movie and who got paid more, but it sounds like she’ll need some convincing. That being said, the actress has seen Wicked with Grande, which she watched with her grandchildren. She said “they loved” it, so perhaps getting to star alongside the fellow triple threat might sweeten the deal.

Focker-In-Law has already started production as of last month, with Grande set to play the fiancée of Greg Focker's son (Gisondo). Ben Stiller has said that the premise will kind of “mirror” the first film since he’s now the same age as De Niro was for Meet The Parents. It’s set to be released November 25, 2026.

Some of the most enduring stars got their starts more than six decades ago, and they are still going strong today. Stars like Harrison Ford, Dame Judi Dench, Jeff Bridges, and even Jodie Foster have been acting their whole lives, and their amazing careers will live on forever. Here is our list of amazing actors who started in the 1960s and are still working today.

Robert Duvall

After cutting his teeth with some television appearances starting in 1959, Robert Duvall made one of the most memorable film debuts of all time as Boo Radley in 1962's To Kill A Mockingbird. Duvall hasn't stopped stealing scenes in the 60+ years since. He's starred in some of the greatest movies ever, like The Godfather, and won an Oscar for Tender Mercies. His most recent credit is The Pale Blue Eye from 2022.

Sally Field

Sally Field is truly America's sweetheart. Her breakout role came on the classic TV show Gidget, and she's starred in some legendary movies and TV shows ever since. With roles in movies as diverse as Smokey and the Bandit, Forrest Gump, and Fried Green Tomatoes, Field has proven she can handle any role she takes on.

Clint Eastwood

There are no bigger legends in Hollywood history than Clint Eastwood. Not much has been said here. His career started in earnest with Spaghetti Westerns, and he's been directing and starring in movies ever since.

Jane Fonda

Jane Fonda is Hollywood royalty as the daughter of Henry Fonda, so it's no surprise that she started her career at a young age. Her first credit goes all the way back to 16960's Tall Story, and she's still starring in movies today, like 2023's 80 for Brady.

Morgan Freeman

Morgan Freeman's career really didn't take off on screen until the 1980s (though he had plenty of credits in the '70s, too). He started mostly on stage in the 1960s and kept his focus there until landing a TV gig in 1971 on PBS's The Electric Company. Today, he remains one of America's most beloved stars.

Shirley MacLaine

Shirley MacLaine made her film debut way back in 1955 and by the 1960s was one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. Her star has never dimmed in the decades since, either, with memorable roles in Downton Abbey and the live-action The Little Mermaid in 2018.

Dustin Hoffman

When you burst onto the scene in a movie like The Graduate, as Dustin Hoffman did in 1967, it's pretty much a guarantee you're going to be a star. In the 60 years since that seminal movie, Hoffman has won countless awards and starred in everything from comedies like Tootsie to dramas like Rain Man, getting nominated for Oscars for both (and winning his second for the latter).

Faye Dunaway

If you look at a list of the best movies of all time, you'll notice Faye Dunaway in the credits of many of them. Starting with Bonnie and Clyde in 1967, right up until the 2020s. She took a small hiatus in the teens, but has been back working regularly since.

Kurt Russell

Kurt Russell's career started when he was just a kid, often starring in Disney projects. It's even Hollywood folklore that Walt Disney's last words were when he scrawled Russell's name on a piece of paper. Though there is no way to know when the note was written. Still, for the better part of seven decades, Kurt Russell has been a Hollywood superstar.

Helen Mirren

Dame Helen Mirren (you know they are important when they get a title like "Dame") started in film in 1966, and that was after having already started acting professionally on stage in the UK. She's never stopped, including starring in the recent hit MobLand on Paramount+

Anthony Hopkins

Sir Anthony Hopkins' first credited film role came in the Shakespeare adaptation The Lion in Winter in 1968 alongside Peter O'Toole and Katharine Hepburn. He's since become one of the most beloved actors of his generation and has won countless awards and accolades.

Jodie Foster

If you look at Jodie Foster's credits, you might think she started in the 1970s as a teenager, but she was starring in commercials as far back as 1967 when she was just three years old.

Jeff Bridges

When you have a legend for a father like Jeff Bridges with Lloyd Bridges, its not hard to understand how he got his start so young. His amazing career in the decades since can only be credited to his immense talent, charm, and charisma on and off screen. And that's not, like, my opinion, man, it's a fact.

Rita Moreno

Puerto Rican superstar Rita Moreno can do it all. She can act, she can sing, and she can dance, and she's been dancing into our hearts since she first way back in 1950! For those of you counting, that's EIGHT decades of excellence.

Judi Dench

Like Dame Helen Mirren, Dame Judy Dench started in the theater, especially doing Shakespeare plays. Her first professional stage credits date back to 1957, and right up through the 2020s, she's been a favorite of millions. One of the best actors of her generation, it's crazy she's only won one Oscar (for Shakespeare in Love).

Harrison Ford

The first thing you might think of when you think of Harrison Ford is Star Wars or Indiana Jones. It's true that it was those movies in the late '70s and early '80s that made him a superstar, but his career started humbly with roles in movies like A Time for Killing and Luv in 1967.

Sophia Loren

For more than 70 years, Sophia Loren has been a star in Europe and the United States. She started in her native Italy in 1950 before coming Stateside in 1958 when she signed on to star in movies for Paramount. Before long, she was a superstar on both sides of the pond.

Warren Beatty

Like his co-star in Bonnie and Clyde, Faye Dunaway, Warren Beatty has been a star in Hollywood for decades. He's also been discerning in the roles he's taken over the years, so he doesn't have a long list of credits like most of the people on this list. That's not because his star dimmed. He's just particular, and that is something we all strive for.

Barbra Streisand

What can we really say about Barbra Streisand? She's a legendary singer and actor, and she's equally well-known for both. There are few stars as enduring and amazing as "Babs."

Robert Redford

Though he is officially retired now, Robert Redford is still one of the biggest Hollywood stars today (and ever). His career started with early roles on shows like The Twilight Zone, and by the time he hung up his cleats, so to speak, the star of The Natural was one of the biggest stars in the history of the industry.

Blythe Danner

Like many on this list, Blythe Danner started her professional career on Broadway and Off-Broadway in the 1960s. Her first movie credit came in 1972, but by then, she was a seasoned pro. She may be best known as the mother of Gwyneth Paltrow these days, but that is selling her way short, as she's been an award-winning actress for decades.

Al Pacino

Famously, Al Pacino entered the American consciousness in 1972's The Godfather, but he'd been working for a few years at that point, mostly on stage. His film debut was in Me, Natalie, alongside Sopranos cast member Nancy Marchand. He has been widely considered one of the best actors of his generation ever since.

Ellen Burstyn

Though her breakthrough didn't come until 1971 with The Last Picture Show, Ellen Burstyn had been picking up small roles on TV shows for years at that point. She has since gone on to win an Academy Award, a Tony Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards, a BAFTA, and a Golden Globe Award. Not too shabby.

Robert De Niro

When you ask someone who the best actor of the last 60 years is, there is a decent chance Robert De Niro will be the name that comes out of their mouth. For many, many decades, De Niro has been stealing scenes and working his tail off to be the best actor he can be. He's gained weight for roles, dropped weight for others, and gotten completely cut for still others. All the while delivering his trademark charm and skills.

Cher

If you could turn back time and you were taking bets in the 1960s that Cher would still be one of the biggest stars in the world in the 2020s, you would probably get pretty good odds that she wouldn't be. She's proven everyone wrong, winning an Oscar for Moonstruck and continuing to wow audiences with her concerts.

Martin Sheen

It's hard to say just what role Martin Sheen will be best remembered for long after he's gone. Will it be Jeb Bartlett on The West Wing? Captain Benjamin L. Willard in Apocalypse Now? Carl Fox in Wall Street? Robert E. Lee in Gettysburg? What is for sure is that Sheen, who landed his first movie role in 1967, will be remembered fondly by millions of fans.

Vanessa Redgrave

English actress Vanessa Redgrave got her star in period pieces like A Man For All Seasons and Camelot in the 1960s. She parlayed that into a decades-long career that is still going, including a role in Cold Storage in 2025.

Ian McKellen

For modern generations, Ian McKellen is known for his roles as Gandalf the Grey and Magneto, but his career is so, so much more. One of the great Shakespearean actors of the last 60 years, he's been starring on stage and screen since the mid-'60s.

Candice Bergen

Candice Bergen found her biggest fame in the 1990s with Murphy Brown, but her career started way back in 1966 in the Sidney Lumet film The Group. She was a model before that, and has turned in role after beloved role on TV and in films.

Ron Howard

These days, Ron Howard is pretty much sticking just to directing, and he's an ace director to be sure. He famously started his Hollywood career as a kid in the 1950s and became a child star in the '60s as Opie Taylor on The Andy Griffith Show. He later starred in Happy Days, before getting behind the camera and becoming one of the great directors of his time.

Goldie Hawn

Goldie Hawn first became a household name in 1968 when she starred in Laugh-In. She's been a star ever since, including starring in a slew of box office hits in the '70s and '80s. There is no question she is one of the funniest actors of her generation, and now she's also the mother to some big stars, too, in Wyatt Russell and Kate Hudson. Not a bad legacy to leave.

Patrick Stewart

Like others on this list, Patrick Stewart will be best known for roles that came in the second half of his career, like Captain Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Professor X in The X-Men series. Of course, his career is much more than those two roles. It's a career that started in TV in the '60s on British shows like Coronation Street and Civilisation.

Barbra Streisand is an all-time Hollywood hit girl, a living legend who holds EGOT winner status, and someone whose last name should frankly be its own tier of awards. However, that apparently didn’t stop her from getting shortchanged on one of the biggest hit movies of the 2000s. According to Streisand, the actress -- who debuted as Roz Focker in Meet the Fockers -- didn’t receive Focker-level pay. And, though she’s not over it, I still hope she returns to the franchise.

The 83-year-old singer and actress took part in a Variety interview, during which she promoted her new album The Secret Of Life: Partners, Volume Two. Streisand didn't mince words when asked if she’d ever return to the Meet the Parents universe. According to her:

Let’s pause and let that soak in. Barbra freaking Streisand, wasn’t paid equally for Meet the Fockers, a movie that made $522 million worldwide? That notion alone is wild, but it becomes even more confusing when you also consider the film's lackluster second sequel, Little Fockers, which still managed to hit the #1 box office spot. Streisand's performance was truly iconic.

Who can forget Roz Focker's bohemian attitude or the hilarious back massage she gives Robert De Niro’s uptight Jack Byrnes? It's undeniably unforgettable. Yet, despite her talent, she still had to rely on a "sweet" bonus check to make ends meet. I'm honestly confused.

To be fair, this was the mid-2000s, when major pay disparities weren’t just accepted, they were industry standard. But hearing it laid out this bluntly from one of the most powerful women in entertainment hits different.

Now, in classic Babs fashion, she didn’t completely slam the door on returning. But, if Universal wants her back for the finally announced, after 15 years, upcoming fourth Meet the Parents sequel, the movie's producers better plan on backing up the Brinks trucks to the Hello, Dolly! star’s house–with interest. Considering how much of a splash Streisand made in the role of Roz, it'd be a shame if she didn't return.

In the meantime, Streisand is now focused on music; her upcoming duet album features everyone from Sam Smith and Hozier to Ariana Grande and Mariah Carey, but she’s still very much plugged into pop culture. Her grandkids recently watched Wicked, and when asked if she saw that it was recently announced that Grande was set to be in the next follow-up to one of Ben Stiller’s best movies, she laughed and replied:

Classic Babs. Whether or not she returns to the chaotic Focker family, the larger takeaway here is clear: women, even the most famous ones, have had to fight for fair pay. And Streisand's not about to sugarcoat that.

So let’s put it out into the universe: give Streisand her due, give Roz Focker a proper send-off and give fans the reunion we deserve. Until then, fans can revisit the whole Focker Trilogy, which is available to stream with a Hulu subscription.

Showrunner Michael Mann had a clear vision for Miami Vice when it debuted on NBC in 1984. He wanted an action show about two "cool" vice cops that showcased both the beauty of South Florida and its seedy underbelly. The show was incredibly popular and influential over its five-season run, and it starred some up-and-coming actors who would one day be huge. 

Miami Vice also crammed in an insane amount of wild cameos you'd never expect, most notably musicians, but also captains of industry, magicians, wrestlers, and comedians. Check out this incredible list that just scratches the surface! 

Bruce Willis

In the first season of Miami Vice, the show featured a young actor with no credits to his name, Bruce Willis. Willis played a gun runner in the episode, being pursued by Tubbs (Philip Michael Thomas) and Crockett (Don Johnson). It's not crazy to say that without this role, Willis would've never landed Moonlighting and maybe never gone on to have the incredible career he had. 

Gene Simmons

Newton Windsor Blade, played by KISS bass player Gene Simmons, was a long-time criminal antagonist to Tubbs and Crockett. Since the mid-'80s weren't great for Kiss, it makes sense that the legendary rocker, known for his wild hair and very long tongue, would branch out into acting. He's not the best actor, but it's crazy seeing him on the show. 

"Captain" Lou Albano And Afa Anoa'i

Professional wrestlers are pretty common to see on TV and "Captain" Lou Albano was also no stranger to TV, appearing in a Cyndi Lauper video in the '80s. Still, it's really fun to see Albano and fellow wrestler Afa Anoa'i playing henchmen to George Takai on Miami Vice in the show's third season. 

Little Richard

In the show's second season, Miami Vice really leaned into musicians as guest stars. One prime example is rock n' roll pioneer and real-life preacher Little Richard, who appeared in the episode "Out Where the Buses Don't Run," as a preacher on the beach. The episode also included up-and-coming actors Bruce McGill and David Strathairn in guest spots.  

Penn Jillette

Penn Jillette, the talking half of the legendary magic duo Penn & Teller, has a few acting credits in his career, usually as himself. His first acting credit, however, was playing a New York City criminal on Miami Vice. It is one of the rare times he didn't appear with his partner Teller at his side. 

Julia Roberts

Even the biggest stars in the world have to start somewhere. Miami Vice was one of the places that helped launch careers, and there may be none bigger than Julia Roberts. Roberts starred in one episode, as an assistant to a crime lord in the season finale of Season 4. It was only her second credited role, and two years before Pretty Woman made her an icon. 

G. Gordon Liddy

Perhaps the wildest guest star in Miami Vice history was former FBI agent and Watergate burglar G. Gordon Liddy. That's right, the ringleader of one of the most notorious political crimes of the 20th Century had a guest spot on the show. Liddy played a former colonel in the U.S. Army who, in a very meta way, was a great admirer of former President Nixon. 

Barbra Streisand

In a truly "what the heck?" moment, the legendary Barbra Streisand makes a literal walk-through cameo in the 18th episode of Season 4 of Miami Vice. She doesn't have a line, and it's a wide shot as Crockett and Tubbs get out of the car. They look twice at her, but she keeps walking. She was dating Don Johnson at the time, which explains why it happened, but still, it's wild. 

Miles Davis

Jazz legend Miles Davis has exactly three credits in movies or TV that are not playing himself or a musician. One of them is Miami Vice. Davis played a criminal being investigated by the vice squad and with that awesome, gravelly voice, he is actually great in the role. 

Teller

The quiet half of the magic duo Penn & Teller, Teller is a man of few words most of the time. When he appeared on Miami Vice – without his partner Penn Jillette – he had quite a few lines when he played a seedy lawyer in the fourth season episode, "Like a Hurricane." It's a rare opportunity to hear Teller speak on TV. 

Frank Zappa

Musician extrodinaire Frank Zappa was a true iconoclast. You never really knew where the guy might show up. One might think that Zappa would see Miami Vice as beneath him, artistically, or too commercial, but that's what made him so great. He wanted everything to be absurd on some level and showing up to play a criminal on a yacht on a network TV is definitely absurd. 

Sheena Easton

Sheena Easton is definitely underappreciated these days. The two-time Grammy winner was huge in the '80s. Not only did she have a slew of hits, working with the likes of Nile Rogers, Prince, and Kenny Rogers, but she sang the theme song to a Bond movie for For Your Eyes Only, and appeared on multiple episodes of Miami Vice as Sonny Crockett's love interest. 

Chris Rock

It's almost hard to believe that Chris Rock's career stretches way back to the mid-1980s, but then you see him with a guest spot on Miami Vice in 1987. It's one of his very first roles, before New Jack City and his bit part in Beverly Hills Cop II, but it's a decent role for a young actor. He plays a records clerk who understands the early days of the internet. 

Phil Collins

Not only did Phil Collins' music often appear in Miami Vice but the legendary drummer and singer also played a con man named...Phil in the second season of the show. Collins has played a few bit parts in movies over the years, but this was his biggest role as an actor. 

Lee Iacocca

Miami Vice was so good at getting guest stars, they even landed a captain of industry. Lee Iacocca was the CEO of Chrysler in the '80s and as such, he was somewhat famous, especially for not being in the entertainment world. When you talk about bonkers guest stars, Iacocca has to be one of the nuttiest. He plays (uncredited) the city park commissioner in the finale of Season 2. Weird. 

Willie Nelson

There are few more iconic musicians in the world than Willie Nelson. With a career that stretches eight decades, Nelson has done it all, including guest starring on Miami Vice. Nelson got to play a retired Texas Ranger who worked with Crockett and Tubbs on a case in the third season of the show.  

Eartha Kitt

Eartha Kitt is probably best known to TV audiences as one of the huge stars who appeared on the 1960s Batman show, where she played Catwoman in the third season. The actress, dancer, and singer, also made a guest spot in Miami Vice in the second season episode "Whatever Works." 

Ted Nugent

Rocker Ted Nugent is a polarizing figure. Known for his politics as much as his guitar shredding, he has thousands of fans and thousands of detractors. Like a lot of other musicians, he plays a bad guy in the second season of the show. 

Annie Golden

Beloved actress Annie Golden started her career in show business in the 1970s as the lead singer of the punk band The Shirts, who were part of the scene at the legendary CBGB's. Golden has gone on to star on stage and screen, including a recurring role in a couple of episodes as Crockett's Ferrari mechanic. Golden is best known these days for playing Norma in Orange is the New Black.

Don King

In a show as over-the-top as Miami Vice was, it only makes sense to have one of the biggest personalities of the decade appear as a guest star. Don King was larger than life in the '80s. The boxing promoter had Mike Tyson in his corner at the time, and Tyson was one of the biggest draws in sports, meaning King was everywhere. Naturally, he played a boxing promoter named "Don Cash" in an episode in Season 3. 

Bill Russell

NBA big men are no strangers to acting. Wilt Chamberlain in Conan The Destroyer, Shaquille O'Neal in Shazam, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in Fletch and Airplane!  are a few examples. Celtics Legend Bill Russell was always a little more understated than those three, but he did find his way into an episode of Miami Vice playing a judge. 

Leonard Cohen

French-Canadian singer/songwriter Leonard Cohen had legions of fans for decades before his death in 2016. While his music was often featured in movies, he wasn't really an actor. Still, Miami Vice managed to score him for an episode in Season 2.

James Brown

One of the coolest things about most of the guest-starring spots on the show was that rarely did one of the stars play themselves. That even went for mega-stars like James Brown. The Godfather of Soul appears as a musician, but not himself, so that had to be fun for Brown and the rest of the cast. 

David Johansen

David Johansen will first and foremost always be known as the lead singer of The New York Dolls, but he's also played a few roles on screen, including the cab driver/ghost of Christmas Past in Scrooged. He also got to play a version of himself on Miami Vice before adopting the Buster Poindexter persona in his music career. 

Glenn Frey

Miami Vice was known for all its musician guest stars, and the first of those was the late Eagles guitar player and singer Glenn Frey. Frey provided a fair amount of music for the show, including his hit song "Smuggler's Blues" written for the show. He appeared in Season 1 playing a pilot who Tubbs and Crockett need for a smuggling bust, naturally. 

George Takei (And Melanie Griffith)

It's not that surprising to see an actor like George Takei on a show like Miami Vice but what makes it bonkers is that he's in a scene with Melanie Griffith and two professional wrestlers, "Captain" Lou Albano and Afa Anoa'i. It's a wild scene with the Star Trek vet playing a criminal overlord and the wrestlers as his henchman. Griffith was dating Johnson at the time, and they would eventually marry and become parents to Dakota Johnson. 

Frankie Valli

The show reached way back in the past when it cast singer Frankie Valli for an episode in its musician-laden second season. New Jersey boy Valli's career goes all the way back to the 1950s and he's had an astonishing 29 Top-40 hits. Still, his first acting role came in 1985 on Miami Vice.

Iman

Iman was one of the first supermodels of the '70s and '80s and she was on the cover of every fashion magazine out there. She didn't get into acting until 1985 when she first appeared on the show in the same episode as G. Gordon Liddy and Bob Balaban. Later she appeared in another episode in 1988 as a different character murdered by a serial killer. 

Rita Moreno

Talk about a legend! EGOT-winner Rita Moreno is Hollywood royalty and her role on Miami Vice is unique because she plays a crooked congresswoman, which is not something you would expect from her. She's brilliant, by the way, as you expect. 

Isaac Hayes

Soul singer and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Isaac Hayes is no stranger to acting. For years he voiced Chef on South Park, and he had roles in legendary movies like Escape from New York, and I'm Gonna Git You Sucka. He also showed up in one episode of Miami Vice, playing a bad guy, which he was great at. 

The Fat Boys

Miami Vice oozed '80s cool so seeing 1980s hip-hop pioneers The Fat Boys on the show shouldn't be a surprise, but it is, and boy is it funny. Big Buff aka The Human Beat Box saunters up to Tubbs and Crockett on a street corner and makes them an offer that the two vice cops definitely refuse, but they don't bust him, because, come on, you can't bust The Fat Boys! 

Ben Stiller

Sometimes it feels like Ben Stiller has been around forever, and that's for good reason. One of his very first roles in Hollywood was on an episode in the show's fourth season. Stiller plays a criminal busted by Crockett and Tubbs and he's got some great lines, playing a real scuzzy kind of guy. 

A lot of shows over the years have brought in some interesting and surprising celebrities for cameos and guest spots, but when you look at this list from Miami Vice it's hard to argue that any show did it better. 

The top actors in Hollywood make a lot of money, but anyone will tell you that the real money is in production. That means that many of the biggest stars in the world have formed their own companies to produce both their own films and other projects that interest them. 

Often, these company names and logos appear at the beginning of the movies, along with larger, more recognizable studios like Paramount and Disney. Here is a list of many of the actors with their own production companies, along with the name of the company to look out for. 

Jordan Peele - Monkeypaw Productions

Jordan Peele has become one of the most exciting and interesting directors and producers in recent years. His Monkeypaw Productions has produced or co-produced his own movies, like Get Out, Us, and Nope, as well as other films like Spike Lee's BlacKkKlansman, and Adamma Ebo's Honk For Jesus, Save Your Soul.

Tom Hanks - Playtone

Tom Hanks' Playtone has been wildly successful on the big and small screens. With movies starring Hanks like Cast Away, Charlie Wilson's Way, The Polar Express, and Greyhound, as well as films not starring him, like Mamma Mia and its sequel, the company keeps winning. It has also hit it big on TV with shows like Band of Brothers, The Pacific, and John Adams on HBO, and the CNN series about each decade of the last 60 years. 

Elizabeth Banks - Brownstone Productions

Elizabeth Banks has been on a hot streak with her company Brownstone Productions. It's most notable for the Pitch Perfect franchise, but the company has also co-produced movies like 2019's Charlie's Angels, and that surprise 2023 hit about a bear that gets into something it should not have in the woods, with scary (and hilarious) results. 

Reese Witherspoon - Pacific Standard

When Reese Witherspoon started Pacific Standard in 2012, she did so with the express purpose of highlighting and producing projects with strong female leads, crews, and topics. So far, it's been a huge success with films like Gone Girl and Wild, as well as TV shows like The Morning Show, and Big Little Lies. 

Adam Sandler - Happy Madison Productions

Adam Sandler movies are not for everyone, but wow, do they make him a lot of money through his company, Happy Madison. Though the two films it's named after Happy Gilmore and Billy Madison were not his productions, almost everything he's been in since 2000 is, and it continues to make a ton of money for the actor. The company has even dabbled in TV, most notably with The Goldbergs.

Drew Barrymore - Flower Films

Drew Barrymore's company, Flower Films, has produced or co-produced a ton of movies since she founded it in 1999. With movies like Donnie Darko, 50 First Dates, Fever Pitch, and the Charlie's Angels franchise, it is safe to assume Barrymore has made a pretty penny. Of course, it also produces her daytime talk show, The Drew Barrymore Show. 

Queen Latifah - Flavor Unit Entertainment

Queen Latifah's Flavor Unit Entertainment started out producing movies with moderate budgets that she starred in, like The Cookout and Beauty Shop, but these days, it's been successful on TV with her show, The Equalizer.

George Clooney - Smokehouse Pictures

Smokehouse Pictures is the second company founded by George Clooney after he shut down Section Eight Productions in 2006. Most movies he's starred in or directed since 2008 have been produced under the Smokehouse banner, including Leatherheads, Monuments Men, and The Boys In The Boat, plus other projects like Ocean's 8 and Argo.

Sandra Bullock - Fortus Films

Sandra Bullock may not be acting as much these days, but her production company, Fortus Films, is still humming along. Through the company, Bullock has produced movies like Miss Congeniality and its sequel, Two Weeks Notice, and The Lost City.

Courteney Cox - Coquette Productions

Friends star Courteney Cox and her ex-husband David Arquette started Coquette Productions together in 2004. The business relationship continued after the couple split six years later, though they haven't actually produced much in recent years. 

Brad Pitt - Plan B Entertainment

Plan B Entertainment was started by Brad Pitt, Jennifer Aniston, and producer Brad Grey in 2001. In 2004, Pitt and Grey bought Aniston out in the midst of her split from Pitt. Since then, the company has gone on to major success, with three of its movies, The Departed, 12 Years a Slave and Moonlight all winning Best Picture Oscars, with seven others receiving nominations for the award. 

Sterling K. Brown - Indian Meadows Productions

This Is Us star Sterling K. Brown named his production Indian Meadows Productions after the name of the neighborhood he grew up in outside St. Louis. Though it's just getting started, there are some interesting things on the way as Brown's star continues to shine brightly. 

Margot Robbie - LuckyChap Productions

Margot Robbie may have gotten snubbed at the 2024 Oscars for Barbie, but you can be sure she wasn't snubbed out of money as one of the producers of the hit movie. Robbie's company, LuckyChap Productions, has also produced movies Robbie starred in like I, Tonya and Birds of Prey as well as other projects she didn't star in like Saltburn and Promising Young Woman.

Leonardo DiCaprio - Appian Way Productions

Leonardo DiCaprio's Appian Way Productions produced two Oscar-winners with The Aviator (which won five) and The Revenant (which won three, including Best Actor for DiCaprio). Through the company, DiCaprio not only produced feature films, but documentaries, as well. 

Nicole Kidman - Blossom Films

While Nicole Kidman's Blossom Films has dabbled in movies, most notably the 2011 rom-com Monte Carlo with Selena Gomez, it has found its biggest successes on the small screen. With shows like Big Little Lies, The Undoing, Nine Perfect Strangers, and 2024's Expats. 

Michael Douglas

Further Films, founded by Michael Douglas, doesn't have the portfolio that others may have on this list, as they seem to have found a niche in thrillers and suspense films like Swimfan, Don't Say a Word, 2017's Flatliners, and the streaming show Ratched.

Natalie Portman - Handsomecharlie Films

Natalie Portman named her company, Handsomecharlie Films, after her beloved dog, and she's put together a nice run of movies. She's produced many of her own projects, like No Strings Attached and Jane Got a Gun, as well as a surprise that she didn't star in, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. 

Eddie Murphy - Eddie Murphy Productions

Eddie Murphy started betting on himself early in his career through Eddie Murphy Productions and it has paid off, big time. Starting with Raw in 1987, the company has produced some huge movies for the legendary comedian, including Coming To America, Harlem Nights, Boomarang, The Nutty Professor, and Norbit. 

Barbra Streisand - Barwood Films

Barbra Streisand has produced many of her own projects through her company, Barwood Films. 1976's A Star Is Born, The Prince Of Tides, and Yentl are a few of the examples of her biggest successes. Barwood has also dabbled in TV movies, like the groundbreaking What Makes a Family in 2001, about a lesbian couple having a child together. 

Alec Baldwin - El Dorado Pictures

Alec Baldwin's El Dorado Pictures has been in the news a lot in recent years due to its connection to Rust and the tragic events that occurred on set. Baldwin has produced quite a few of his own projects through the company over the years and even got into the TV game show space with the revival of Match Game, which he also hosted. 

Tina Fey - Little Stranger

Tina Fey has one of the sharpest wits in Hollywood, so it's no surprise she would use those same brains to produce. From critically acclaimed movies like 2024's Mean Girls to wildly successful TV shows including 30 Rock and The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Fey, and her company Little Stranger, continue to crush it. 

Laurence Fishburne - Cinema Gypsy Productions

The biggest success Laurence Fishburne and his company Cinema Gypsy Productions has seen thus far is the sitcom black-ish, but he's also produced some great movies of his own that have flown under the radar, but are worth checking out, in Five Fingers and Akeelah and the Bee.

Jodie Foster - Egg Pictures

It's no surprise that an actor and director like Jodie Foster, who has been in show business for basically all of her life, would be a producer as well. Through her Egg Pictures production company, she produced many of her own projects, starting with Nell in 1994 and Home for the Holidays in 1995. She closed the company in 2002 when she decided that producing wasn't for her. 

Clint Eastwood - Malpaso Films

Without question, one of the most successful companies on this list is Malpaso Films, founded by Clint Eastwood. It has served as the production company for almost all of the films Eastwood has directed and its history stretches back to the mid-1960s. Many of his classic films, including Unforgiven, The Bridges of Madison County, The Outlaw Josey Wales, Dirty Harry, Escape from Alcatraz, Million Dollar Baby, Sully, and many more have all been produced or co-produced by Malpaso. 

Halle Berry - 606 Films

Halle Berry's 606 Films has an interesting origin story. Though it was formed as part of her deal to star in Extant, the name has an important meaning. She named it after CA Senate Bill 606, a law intended to protect celebrities' children from the paparazzi.

It was an important issue for Berry, and when the company was formed, her partner, Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, said, "606 Films is named for the anti-paparazzi bill, Senate Bill 606, which Halle fought so hard for and won, when no one believed it could be achieved. It truly informs the spirit of our company — making dreams possible, one bill at a time."

Mel Gibson - Icon Productions

Mel Gibson is not the most universally loved man in Hollywood, to be sure, but he's often bet on himself with his Icon Films, and more times than not, it's worked. Since 1989, he's financed many of his own projects completely through Icon, making movies like Hacksaw Ridge, The Passion of the Christ, and We Were Soldiers, plus co-producing maybe his most iconic movie, Braveheart. 

Salma Hayek - Ventanarosa Productions

Ventanarosa Productions, founded by Salma Hayek in 1999 has most often focused on Latin-centric projects, including Hayek's own Frida and the hit TV show, Ugly Betty. Ventanarosa also works throughout Latin America, producing Spanish-language films and TV. 

Will Smith - Overbrook Entertainment

Will Smith grew up in the West Philly neighborhood of Overbrook, which he took for the name of his production company as well, Overbrook Entertainment. Through it, Smith has produced many of his own projects, starting with Ali in 2001. King Richard, for which he infamously won the Oscar for Best Actor in 2022, was also produced by Overbrook. On the small screen, the Netflix hit Cobra Kai is an Overbrook production, as well. 

Amy Poehler - Paper Kite Productions

Amy Poehler's Paper Kite Production has dabbled in movies, but most of its success has been on TV and streaming. With shows like Russian Doll, and Broad City, you can see that Poehler likes sticking with what she knows, comedy. You might be surprised, though, that the company has also found success with reality TV and even feature length documentaries.

Danny DeVito - Jersey Films

Danny DeVito is obviously proud of his New Jersey roots, naming his production company Jersey Films. He also has to be proud of the output from the company with films like Pulp Fiction and Get Shorty. He's found a lot of success on TV too, with Reno 911! Another of Jersey's films, Erin Brockovich, was nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards in 2001.

Charlize Theron - Denver And Delilah Productions

Denver and Delilah Productions' first film was Monster, starring the company's founder, Charlize Theron. That seems to have inspired a bit of a theme, as the company has produced other serial killer-related projects, like Netflix's show Mindhunters, and the HBO docuseries Last Call: When a Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York. There are also a few non-serial killer films, like Bombshell, Atomic Blonde, and Murder Mystery.

Will Ferrell - Gary Sanchez Productions

Before Adam McKay and Will Ferrell had their falling out in 2019 and dissolved Gary Sanchez Productions, the company had been wildly successful, releasing some of the funniest movies and shows over the last couple of decades. Step Brothers, Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, Daddy's Home, Eastbound & Down, and Drunk History are just a few examples. Add to that a little HBO show called Succession, which has won just a few Emmys, and wow, what a success story. 

As this list shows, success as an actor often leads to success in production as well, so actors will continue to open up their own shops, and will continue to crush it, for sure. 

Seeing A-list celebrities on SNL is certainly nothing out of the ordinary, considering there is a different one hosting the show each week, even including non-actors who end up nailing it. Lorne Michaels and company have still managed to shock the Studio 8H audience numerous times by bringing out a public figure whom no one could have guessed was going to be part of the show. The following are some of our all-time favorite Saturday Night Live celebrity cameos.

Leonardo DiCaprio (Season 39)

In Jonah Hill’s third SNL monologue, the Academy Award nominee is bombarded by questions about working with Leonardo DiCaprio before trying to convince the audience that the future Oscar winner was not even supposed to be in The Wolf of Wall Street initially. Just then, the Titanic cast member himself walks on to knock some sense into his co-star before agreeing to recreate the famous “We’re flying!” scene from the Best Picture Oscar winner. 

Barack Obama (Season 33)

In the cold open for SNL’s 2007 Halloween show, a spooky party hosted by Bill (Darrell Hammond) and Hilary Clinton (Amy Poehler) is crashed by an unexpected guest in a Barack Obama mask. The stranger removes the rubber face to reveal he is actually the future 44th President of the United States in the flesh.

Barbra Streisand (Season 17)

A recurring topic in Mike Myers’ “Coffee Talk” sketches was Linda Richman’s obsession with Barbra Streisand, who shocked the host and her guests (played by Madonna and Roseanne Barr) by briefly walking on the set to greet them in one sketch. According to Barbra Archives, Myers had been informed that the Oscar-winning Funny Girl star might show up, but Madonna and Barr’s shocked reactions were completely genuine.

Robert De Niro (Season 26)

Academy Award winner Robert De Niro never hosted SNL until 2002, but made multiple surprise appearances beforehand, such as the time he showed up on “Weekend Update.” The cameo was in response to Jimmy Fallon’s unfavorable review of 2000’s Meet the Parents, which Fallon tries to defend with his impersonation of the acting legend, who turns the tables by imitating him at the end.

Kel Mitchell (Season 48)

A pre-taped segment imagines a reboot of the classic Nickelodeon comedy, Kenan & Kel, but with host Keke Palmer as a new character named Kelly. However, the bit ends wonderfully with an appearance of Kenan Thompson’s original co-star, Kel Mitchell, who actually auditioned for SNL once before, to no avail

Judge Judy (Season 24)

Cheri Oteri made an impact on SNL in a short time with memorable characters and hilarious impersonations — especially that of Judge Judy. However, the honorable TV personality herself proved that no one “rules” like the original when she interrupted one of Oteri’s parodies of her court show.

Sarah Paulson (Season 48)

In a sketch poking fun at his internet persona, host Pedro Pascal plays a teacher whose students have made viral videos honoring him as a surrogate “daddy” and another teacher name Ms. Jenny as “mommy.” Entering the room to the crowd’s surprise as Ms. Jenny is the Last of Us cast member’s good friend, Emmy winner Sarah Paulson.

Taylor Swift (Season 49)

Even after her boyfriend — one of the funniest pro athletes to host SNL, Travis Kelce — made a surprise appearance in the same episode (hosted by Pete Davidson), no one anticipated Taylor Swift would show up in the Season 48 opener to introduce musical guest Ice Spice’s second performance. Reportedly, neither of these cameos were planned and were put together last minute when the Grammy-winning superstar and Kansas City Chiefs tight end happened to show up at 30 Rock.

Jason Momoa (Season 45)

In a courtroom-style sketch starring Chance the Rapper as a judge who rules purely by first impressions, one of the defendants is played by Jason Momoa, who already has the host in stitches with his ridiculous wardrobe. However, the Aquaman actor suddenly cannot stop laughing after accidentally referring to himself as a “paraplegic,” when he meant to say “paralegal.”

Eminem (Season 46)

Pete Davidson plays a young man named Stu who writes a series of increasingly erratic letters asking Santa Claus (Jason Bateman) for a PlayStation 5 in this holiday parody of “Stan” by Eminem. As we learn at the end of the bit (which original video star Devon Sawa loved), the Real Slim Shady is the one who ended up getting the PS5 under his tree.

The Property Brothers And Tony Hawk (Season 48)

Kenan Thompson plays the host of an international beauty pageant that is close to going off the rails when he makes note of the random selection of Property Brothers’ Drew and Jonathan Scott and Tony Hawk as the judges before introducing them. Much to the surprise of Thompson’s character (and the audience), the twin renovation reality show stars and the pro skateboarder are appearing as themselves.

Jeff Probst (Season 48)

At first, the only joke this wedding-set sketch has going for it is the repeated utterance of the word “Joker," in reference to the best man’s choice of Halloween costume, modeled after Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight. What transcends the SNL sketch from terrible to amazing is when Survivor host Jeff Probst shows up to announce if the guests voted in favor of the best man (Andrew Dismukes) keeping on his makeup or in favor of the bride (Heidi Gardner), who thinks his costume has ruined the ceremony.

Conan O'Brien (Season 47) 

When John Mulaney’s induction into SNL’s Five-Timers Club doesn’t seem to be going well, with veterans like Steve Martin and Candice Bergen believing he doesn’t fit the quality standards, coming to his aid is none other than Conan O’Brien. The beloved late-night host-turned-podcaster’s surprise appearance was not only special because he starred in the first Five-Timers Club sketch while working as a writer, but because he previously severed ties with NBC after 2010’s embarrassing Tonight Show debacle.

The Hunger Games Cast (Season 40) 

After starting his third SNL monologue with a song about the year 1989 modeled after Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space,” Woody Harrelson is suddenly joined by his Hunger Games movies co-stars Liam Hemsworth and Josh Hutcherson. When Academy Award winner Jennifer Lawrence shows up, Harrelson initially mistakes her for “the real Taylor Swift.”

Eugene Levy (Season 46) 

Host Dan Levy offers a glimpse of what Studio 8H looks like backstage in a post-Covid environment. During the tour, he is shocked to learn his father and fellow Schitt’s Creek cast member, Eugene Levy, flew from L.A. to New York to support him, but pandemic protocols have forced the comedian to watch the show from a clear, protective case.

Matt Damon (Season 44)

Matt Damon is the face behind many of the most amazing celebrity cameos in movies, but the Oscar-winning writer and star of Good Will Hunting has worked his magic on the small screen as well. For instance: his surprise appearance on SNL as Associate Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh in a hilarious cold open recreating his senate hearing.

Julia Stiles (Season 49)

On “Weekend Update,” Chloe Fineman demonstrates her most romantic holiday gift idea: recreating the balletic performance from the end of one of the best dance movies, Save the Last Dance. Fineman and the crowd are suddenly starstruck when the film’s star, Julia Stiles, shows up to help bring the tribute to a grand finale.

Arnold Schwarzenegger (Season 14)

When an overly excited Danny DeVito interrupts his monologue and requests to re-do the show’s opening, he asks his good friend and Twins co-star, Arnold Schwarzenegger, to launch things with the famous catchphrase while he is sitting in the audience. The Terminator movies star would show up in the episode again to pay a visit to his cousins, Hans (Dana Carvey) and Franz (Kevin Nealon).

Bryan Cranston (Season 42) 

In a funny cold open, CNN reporter Jake Tapper announces that then-President Donald Trump has selected a new head of the DEA. The person in question is former high school chemistry teacher Walter White, played by former Breaking Bad cast member Bryan Cranston reprising his legendary, multi-Emmy-winning role.

Paul McCartney (Season 32) 

This sketch is already crawling with amazing cameos when Alec Baldwin, in the Platinum Lounge at SNL’s Five-Timers Club, runs into Martin Short (working as a server) and Steve Martin, who attempts to murder his It’s Complicated co-star under the impression he is tying his hosting record. However, the biggest surprise comes when Paul McCartney walks in, whom Martin initially mistakes for fellow club member, Paul Simon. 

Melissa McCarthy (Season 42)

One of SNL’s all-time best hosts, Melissa McCarthy, showed up to play then-White House press secretary Sean Spicer during an episode hosted by Kristen Stewart. While then-President Donald Trump did not care for the sketch, Spicer did not seem bothered by the impersonation (save McCarthy’s amount of gum chewing), and the big became one of SNL’s most popular YouTube clips, later inspiring the Oscar nominee to reprise the role once more.

The Office Cast (Season 44)

When an audience member interrupts Steve Carell’s third SNL monologue to ask if an Office reboot is in the works, he initially says the beloved NBC sitcom might be best left alone. However, fellow Office cast members Ellie Kemper, Ed Helms, and Jenna Fischer pop in to convince him otherwise.

Barry Gibb (Season 39)

Arguably Jimmy Fallon’s single funniest SNL sketch is “The Barry Gibb Talk Show,” in which he and Justin Timberlake, as Bee Gees members Barry and Robin Gibb, discuss pressing topics with public figures. One of the later editions featured Madonna appearing as herself, but when the real Barry Gibb shows up at the very end is an all-time classic moment.

Larry David (Season 41)

While he never was an SNL cast member (but did perform sketch comedy on Fridays), Larry David had a brief stint at Studio 8H as a writer years before returning to the show in a legendary way. In a cold open recreating the 2016 Election’s Democratic presidential debate, the Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm creator drove the crowd crazy with his first of many appearances as Bernie Sanders, who, it turns out, is a distant cousin of the comedian, as they would later discover (per Time). 

Brad Pitt (Season 24)

Brad Pitt is, surprisingly, one of many celebrities who have never hosted SNL, but he has popped in on the show a couple of times. The first time was in a cold open for an episode hosted by David Spade, as the Tommy Boy actor’s therapist, for some reason.

Alex Trebek (Season 27)

One of SNL’s best “Celebrity Jeopardy!” sketches comes from Will Ferrell’s final episode as a cast member, particularly for the surprise guest at the very end. After Ferrell’s Alex Trebek announces the “Final Jeopardy!,” the real, late Alex Trebek appears to bid his impersonate adieu.

James Gandolfini (Season 30)

When reporting on then-New Jersey governor Jim McGreevey’s scandal on “Weekend Update,” Amy Poehler and Tina Fey introduce a native to New York’s neighboring state to comment on the topic. The guest turns out to be played by the late James Gandolfini of the Sopranos cast fame, whose commentary turns out to be filled with stereotypes at the expense of his own community and others.

Chris Rock (Season 42)

A highlight of Dave Chappelle’s Emmy-winning debut hosting gig was the appearance of his friend and collaborator, Chris Rock. The ‘90s SNL icon shows up in a sketch set on the night of the 2016 Presidential Election to bond with Chappelle’s character over their anticipation of the inevitable results.

Jake Gyllenhaal (Season 45)

One of the most dazzling cameos in one of John Mulaney’s best comedy specials, John Mulaney & the Sack Lunch Bunch, was Jake Gyllenhaal as Mr. Music. The Academy Award nominee later reunited with the beloved comedian in one of Mulaney’s best musical SNL sketches as a pajama-clad traveler at LaGuardia Airport.

Janet Reno (Season 26)

Before Jane Lynch played Janet Reno in a true crime series, she was portrayed by Will Ferrell on SNL for years in “Janet Reno’s  Dance Party.” The final edition of the hard-partying sketch, amid the end of Reno’s sting as U.S. Attorney General, went out with a bang when the real Reno crashed through the wall to greet her doppelganger.

Mick Jagger (Season 49)

Musician and actor Bad Bunny’s SNL hosting debut was pretty cameo-heavy, including appearances by Pedro Pascal, former cast member Fred Armisen, and Lady Gaga. However, it was Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger who brought the house down with his bewildering parts in two sketches — first as a telenovela actor and later as a man posing as a nun.

Mark Zuckerberg (Season 36)

Host Jesse Eisenberg’s monologue is interrupted by Andy Samberg’s impersonation of Mark Zuckerberg, whom Eisenberg portrayed to Academy Award-nominated acclaim in the Social Network cast in 2010. Little do they know that the real Facebook founder is backstage, but goes against Lorne Michaels’ suggestions and joins Eisenberg onstage for an “awkberg” first meeting.

Sometimes what makes SNL really fun is waiting to see which celebrities might show up for a surprise appearance this time.

When it comes to Hollywood, plenty of actresses, singers, and more have taken the world by storm. It could be from their legendary acting, brilliant singing, or even how they walk the runway, but one way or another, they become Hollywood it girls, the ones that everyone looks up to and wants to be. Today, we'll review more than 30 Hollywood It girls, their time in the spotlight, and where they are now. 

Audrey Hepburn

We need to mention Audrey Hepburn if we're talking about Hollywood it girls. The actress became a major it girl in 1960s for her roles in iconic films like Breakfast at Tiffany's, Roman Holiday, My Fair Lady, and several other classic films. She won an Academy Award for acting in Roman Holiday alongside Gregory Peck and is considered one of the most iconic faces in Hollywood history. The actress passed away in January 1993 at 63. 

Angelina Jolie 

Angelina Jolie really started building a name for herself in the '90s, then gained fame for her role in Girl, Interrupted earlier in the 2000s, and only continued to grow in popularity. Her starring roles in movies such as Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, Wanted, Salt, and more in the early to mid-2000s garnered her the coveted Hollywood it girl status. She also won an Academy Award for Girl, Interrupted. There are so many great Angelina Jolie movies to watch. 

Rita Moreno

Rita Moreno danced onto the scene as a Hollywood it girl 1962 with her starring role in the classic movie musical West Side Story, where she won an Academy Award for playing Anita. She continued to star in various films after in the 1960s and '70s. In recent years, she played Valentina in the new Steven Spielberg reboot of West Side Story and appeared in other films like 80 for Brady, Fast X, and more. 

Elizabeth Taylor 

Elizabeth Taylor became a Hollywood it girl around the time Cleopatra released in the 1960s. She would also star in films such as Father of Bride, A Place in the Sun, Ivanhoe, and many more. She also won the Academy Award for Butterfield 8, and starred in several films with her on-again-off-again husband, Richard Burton. Taylor passed away in 2011 at the age of 79. 

Drew Barrymore

Though she's been acting since childhood, Drew Barrymore was the Hollywood it girl in the 1990s, especially from her part in The Wedding Singer. Her small role in the Scream franchise was another big moment during the decade. Aside from that, she appeared in films like Charlie's Angels, Boys on the Side, Batman Forever, and more. In recent years, she became a host of her own syndicated talk show called The Drew Barrymore Show. 

Julie Andrews

Julie Andrews' best movies exemplify how she became a Hollywood it girl. Andrews is primarily known for two of her roles in the 1960s that shot her up to It girl stardom – The Sound of Music and Mary Poppins (for which she won an Academy Award), two highly iconic musical films where she showed off her acting talent and brilliant pipes. She continues to act to this day and often leads her iconic voices to several franchises. 

Dolly Parton 

When I think of Hollywood it girls, I often think of Dolly Parton. This country star has become a staple in the world of music and shot up to Hollywood it girl status in the 1980s, with a combination of her iconic music and her roles in films like 9 to 5 and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. She was even inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 

Diana Ross 

Diana Ross is an incredible singer who became a Hollywood it girl as the lead vocalist from the Motown girl group, The Supremes, back in the 1960s. But from there, she had a solo career that expanded decades. To this day, Ross continues to perform and make music. She also won several awards for her role in Lady Sings the Blues. 

Aretha Franklin

Aretha Franklin was another iconic voice from the late 1960s and became an even bigger star in the latter half of the decade, becoming one of the biggest Hollywood it girls out there. Some of her songs that you might recognize include "Respect," "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman," "I Say A Little Prayer" and more. She passed away in 2018 at the age of 76.  

Brooke Shields

Back in the early 1980s, all anyone could talk about was Brooke Shields. The actress became big at a young age for her modeling, and then began to star in films such as The Blue Lagoon, Endless Love, and more, which truly cemented her status. She played Van in Holiday Harmony in 2022. 

Judy Garland 

You can't get more Hollywood it girl than Judy Garland, someone who starred in one of the most iconic movies ever, The Wizard of Oz, and became a well-known Hollywood it girl from the 1930s onward. Garland primarily became known for her role as Dorothy, but she did star in several other movies (such as Easter Parade, Summer Stock, A Star Is Born) and more before she died in 1969 when she was 47. 

Molly Ringwald

Molly Ringwald was the Hollywood it girl in the mid-1980s, appearing in several major coming-of-age teen films that I'm sure most of us know today. Some of these that really cemented her status as a Hollywood it girl were The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, Sixteen Candles, and more. Ringwald still acts, both on TV and in movies. For a few years she played Archie's mother in the hit CW show Riverdale. 

Cher

Cher is a singer who became known for her deep voice and style, and also her acting. Cher has been around since the 1960s, and has been a Hollywood it girl for several decades. The late '80s was where we got several songs synonymous with Cher today that really cemented her place in the music industry, like "I Found Someone" and "If I Could Turn Back Time." Today, Cher still works on music. 

Barbra Streisand

Barbara Streisand is a singer who also became a prominent voice of the late 1960s. Specifically, her role in Funny Girl made her stand out even more, a part that she won an Academy Award for, and from there she only grew in stardom and it-girl status.  Streisand still works on music and has achieved EGOT status over her time in Hollywood. 

Goldie Hawn 

Goldie Hawn gained fame for her role in the sketch comedy series Rowan & Martin's Laugh-On but blew up even more after her time in the 1960s film Cactus Flower, which really cemented her status as a Hollywood it girl. She appeared in several other movies, such as Shampoo, The Sugarland Express, Private Benjamin, and more. She's been the partner of Kurt Russell for many years and even appeared alongside him in Overboard, and more recently, The Christmas Chronicles 2. 

Tina Turner

Tina Turner is a legend in the world of music, becoming super famous in the early 1970s, especially with her release of "What's Love Got To Do With It." The singer is known as the "Queen of Rock and Roll" and has released such well-known tunes as "Better Be Good To Me," "The Best" and many more. Tina Turner unfortunately passed in 2023 at the age of 83. 

Julia Roberts

Julia Roberts’ best movies are mainly from the 1980s and 1990s, making her the Hollywood it girl of the time. Pretty Woman was one of Roberts' best movies that cemented her status as an it-girl, but she appeared in several films throughout the 1990s, like My Best Friend's Wedding, Notting Hill, Runaway Bride, and more, and even won an Academy Award for Erin Brockovich in 2000. She appeared in Ticket to Paradise in 2022. 

Liza Minnelli

The daughter of Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli, is known for her work as an actor, singer, and dancer, and for also achieving EGOT status. Minnelli's status as it girl really started to appear in her part in Cabaret in 1972, but she also starred in other movies like Arthur and Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon, as well as many others. The actress most recently had a cameo appearance in Halston in 2021. 

Carly Simon 

The iconic Carly Simon has worked in music for many years and became a major it girl in the early 1970s. She released songs such as "Haven't Got Time For Pain," "You're So Vain," "Mockingbird," and more. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022. 

Donna Summer (1975) 

Donna Summer, a disco legend, released music such as "Love to Love You Baby" and "I Feel Love," among many other iconic music from that time in the mid-1970s. Both songs were huge hits among the rest of her discography. She passed away in 2012 at the age of 63. 

Lisa Bonet

Lisa Bonet primarily gained fame from her role on The Cosby Show in the 1980s, which she reprised in the college-set spinoff A Different World. Aside from that, she also starred in movies like Angel Heart, which further cemented her status as a leading lady. She held a recurring role in Ray Donavan in 2016. 

Diane Keaton

Diane Keaton is known for numerous roles, going back to 1970s, and was a great Hollywood it girl, specifically beginning from her time in The Godfather movies. She also appeared in films such as Play It Again, Sam, Sleep, Love and Death, and Annie Hall, which won her an Academy Award. Keaton was in Book Club: The Next Chapter in 2023. 

Olivia Newton-John

You couldn't go anywhere in the 1970s without hearing about Olivia Newton-John. Not only was the actress known for her role in Grease in 1978, but she also had an excellent singing career, releasing hits like "I Honestly Love You" and "Physical," which only further showed just how much of an it girl she was. Newton-John passed away in 2022. 

Pam Grier

Pam Grier has appeared in several memorable action films. Coffy in 1973 was really what brought her to stardom, but she continued to shine in films like Foxy Brown, The Big Doll House, Women in Cages, The Big Bird Cage, The Arena, Sheba Baby, and many more. Years later, she also starred in Jackie Brown, one of Quentin Tarantino's films. She appeared in Pet Sematary: Bloodlines in 2023. 

Meryl Streep 

While I will always consider Streep an it girl all the time, she became well-known at the end of the 1970s and '80s for her starring roles in movies like Kramer vs. Kramer (which won her an Academy Award), The Deer Hunter, and Sophie's Choice. In 2023, held a recurring role on the great Hulu TV series Only Murders in the Building. 

Farrah Fawcett

Farrah Fawcett was an actress known not only for her beautiful and luxurious hair, but for her acting in the series Charlie's Angels from 1976 to 1981. She also appeared in Harry O and The Six Million Dollar Man. She unfortunately passed away in 2009 at the age of 62. 

Jennifer Beals

Jennifer Beals rose to fame from her role in Flashdance in 1983 and continued appearing in other significant movies, including Vampire's Kiss, Devil in Blue Dress, Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Cycle, and more. Today, she still acts and appeared in the 2022 film Luckiest Girl Alive and was a part of the guest cast of the Disney+ Star Wars series, The Book of Boba Fett. 

Winona Ryder

While many people remember her well for her role in Beetlejuice, she began to appear in several films in the late 1980s and 1990s. Her biggest one in my opinion was Edward Scissorhands in 1990, which really showed off her acting prowess and made her an it girl, but she also appeared in films such as Heathers, Bram Stoker's Dracula, The Age of Innocence, and Little Women, among others. She has a starring role in the hit Netflix binge-able series Stranger Things.

Janet Jackson

While Michael Jackson was a Hollywood it guy, his sister Janet was undoubtedly a Hollywood it girl. Janet Jackson is a legendary voice in the music genre and released hits during the 1980s like "Nasty" and "Rhythm Nation," among others. In 2019, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Naomi Campbell 

Naomi Campbell was a massive influence in the modern-day fashion industry, becoming the first-ever Black woman to headline the covers of both Vogue France and Time in the late 1980s. Aside from modeling, Campbell also worked in acting and music. She more recently appeared in Black is King in 2020 and was a part of the docu-series The Super Models. 

Whitney Houston

Whitney Houston rose to fame in the late 1980s for her songs like "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)" and "Greatest Love of All," but later starred in The Bodyguard in 1992, which included several hit songs on its soundtrack, including her iconic version of "I Will Always Love You." She also starred in several other films like The Preacher's Wife and Waiting to Exhale, further showing her Hollywood it girl status. Houston passed away in 2012. 

Reese Witherspoon

Reese Witherspoon gained a lot of fame for her roles in movies in the late 1990s, such as Cruel Intentions and Election, but became huge with her role as Elle Woods in Legally Blonde in 2001, which is genuinely one of Reese Witherspoon's best movies, and has since appeared in several other films. She even won an Academy Award for her co-starring role in Walk the Line. She has a co-starring role in the Apple TV+ series, The Morning Show, alongside Jennifer Anniston. 

There are so many amazing Hollywood it girls out there that we could talk about, but these are just some that have taken the world by storm. Who knows who is going to end up becoming the next Hollywood star that tops this list? 

A couple of days ago, legendary actor and all around good guy Jeff Bridges broke the news that he was diagnosed with cancer. More specifically, the man who helped bring The Big Lebowski and Disney’s Tron franchise to life, among others, was told by his doctors that he had Lymphoma and that “the prognosis is good.” Naturally the wishes of good will started to come in shortly after the diagnosis was broken to the public, with Bridges’ Tron: Legacy co-star Olivia Wilde being one of those who would send him their love on the internet. And those good vibes haven’t stopped, as more of Jeff Bridges’ co-stars have lent their support in recent days.

Starting with Barbara Streisand, who was Jeff Bridges’ co-star/director in the 1996 romantic comedy The Mirror Has Two Faces, the parade of kind thoughts has continued in reaction to the news on the actor’s official Instagram announcement. Streisand offered the following thoughts, which were also captured via USA Today:

Also on hand to wish Jeff Bridges well was fellow screen icon, Michelle Pfeiffer. Co-starring with not only Jeff, but also his brother Beau Bridges in The Fabulous Baker Boys, Pfeiffer came between the brothers Bridges on screen, sparking a rivalry for the ages. But in real life, Michelle Pfeiffer is another supporting friend who had nothing but good tidings for her former screen partner:

Of course, it wouldn’t be a tribute to Jeff Bridges’ career if there wasn’t a co-star from one of his most landmark films, The Big Lebowski. And who better to throw their support into the ring than Julianne Moore, who played the eccentric Maude Lebowski, daughter to the other Jeffrey Lebowski in that particular picture. There was no confusion in the message she had to offer, as it was simply the following:

Though it wasn’t only co-stars of Jeff Bridges sending well wishes. Though they both starred in different corners of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Avengers: Endgame star Jeremy Renner never shared screen time with Jeff Bridges’ Iron Man villain Obadiah Stane. But that didn’t stop Renner from issuing this supporting message:

The Rookie star, and fellow MCU alum Nathan Fillion also added his two cents, with a message that called back to one of Jeff Bridges’ most iconic roles, as none other than The Big Lebowski’s eponymous slacker hero:

Naturally, we here at CinemaBlend continue to offer our own feelings of grati-dude to Jeff Bridges, as we hope his cancer treatments are a success that will allow the man to abide for years to come. Should any further updates come to light, we’ll break that news as it happens. In the meantime, you can catch Jeff Bridges next in the Hulu miniseries The Old Man, which is still set to debut at some point in the remainder of 2020.

James Brolin and Barbra Streisand have been married for 20 whole years now, and they're still very much in love. While several celebrity marriages come and go, Barbra and James are still here to stay. The actor and actress/director recently celebrated the big 2-0 anniversary, and Streisand had some very lovely and loving words to say to her husband of two whole decades for the big day. Read Barbra Streisand's tribute to her hubby, below.

Even with two decades under their belts, Barbra Streisand and James Brolin are staying strong and committed to their love to one another. Indeed, the celebrity couple was married back in 1998, on July 1. They reportedly first met on a blind date -- as odd as that sounds, considering who they both are. As People recounted, here's what Barbra Streisand said about her first encounter with her future husband, and when the sparks first flew.

Barbra Streisand and James Brolin were no strangers to marriage when they were first hitched. Streisand was previously with Elliott Gould, and they were married in 1963 and then divorced in 1971. Brolin, meanwhile, was married to Jane Cameron Agee and Jan Smithers. Brolin was married to the former from 1966 to 1984, and he was married to the latter from 1986 to 1995. While those other marriages didn't last, Streisand and Brolin are still together. And they have even more reason to celebrate today because it was recently announced that Josh Brolin, James Brolin's son, is going to be a father again with his wife, Kathryn Boyd. It will be their first child together, although Josh Brolin is also the father of Trevor (30) and Eden Brolin (24).

While Barbra Streisand and James Brolin aren't seen on the big or small screen as often as they used to be, they're not hurting for work either. James Brolin can currently be seen on the CBS comedy Life in Pieces, which began back in 2015. Streisand, meanwhile, recently announced that she is looking to get back into the director's chair for a new upcoming movie, which has limited details at the moment. It'll be her first directorial feature since 1996's The Mirror Has Two Faces.

We wish Barbra Streisand and James Brolin many congratulations on their latest marriage anniversary. Here's to twenty more years together!

Although Lady Gaga has appeared in a few acting projects previously, she's been getting a lot of press for her role in A Star is Born, a remake of the 1976 film starring Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson, which is in turn a remake of a 1954 film starring Judy Garland and James Mason, which is also a remake of a 1937 movie produced by David O. Selznick. Of course, Barbra Streisand is still around to see the movie get remade yet again, and when the actress was recently asked at Paleyfest how she feels about the new movie, she had only positive things to say about the remake, noting,

Barbra Streisand was at the Dolby Theater on Friday, where Paleyfest was honoring her for her popular work, when the actress and singer was asked about the new version of A Star is Born. Although Streisand was a little vague about how much of the movie she has seen, she did reveal (via ET) that she is pretty impressed with the parts she's been shown. It would be weird if she had gotten bent out of shape about the remake, especially considering her version was also a remake; still no one was forcing her to use descriptors like "very, very good," either, so that's presumably her real opinion. To me, then, these words about A Star is Born are encouraging.

As for A Star is Born itself, the movie has been rolling out some early looks since late last year, first giving us some images of co-stars Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper and later a first teasy look at the movie. The movie came together fairly fast after the two leads were cast, although we should note that this remake is one that had been in development for years, and previously Beyonce and Leonardo DiCaprio had been attached as the leads in the movie.

As for Lady Gaga, she proved she had some major acting chops when she had a lot of fun in Ryan Murphy's American Horror Story: Hotel. She even won a Golden Globe for the gig, and apparently it whet her appetite for acting enough that she went on to sign on for A Star is Born. Previous big screen roles for the actress were small parts in Machete Kills and Muppets Most Wanted, so really A Star is Born is the kind of role that could make or break Lady Gaga's acting path, at least on the big screen, moving forward.

We won't have too much longer to wait. The film has already finished production and it seems the likes of Barbra Streisand have at least seen parts of the movie, although the flick did get pushed back from its May release date to October of 2018 recently. While we wait, take a look at the other movies that will be coming out this year.

It still seems safe to assume that Adele will completely dominate the Oscars broadcast with her first-ever live performance of "Skyfall," but now she's actually got some competition for that spotlight. The Academy has announced that Barbra Streisand will also be performing, taking the Oscars stage for the first time since 1977, when she performed and won Best Original Song for the love theme from A Star Is Born.

They're not revealing what song Streisand will sing, so it's unlikely she's stepping in for someone else's nominated song-- though it is weird that we haven't gotten confirmation that Scarlett Johansson will step up to perform the nominated "Before My Time" from Chasing Ice. Instead I'd pick Streisand to sing over the the In Memoriam sequence, or one of the many montages that the Oscars are famous/dreaded for. Producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron are only revealing that "she has agreed to do a very special performance on this year's Oscars." Any time Streisand takes the stage in front of a Hollywood crowd that adores her pretty much guarantees it will be special, and now we get to take particular glee in the stand-off between her and Adele. Who will be the bigger diva? Who will throw the mightiest death glares? It's all so exciting!

If you need a reminder of what it's like to see Streisand perform at the Oscars, here's a clip of her 1977 performance of "Evergreen" (fast-forward about a minute and a half to get there).

Hoping to beat the “traffic” that’s expected at multiplexes during December’s suddenly overcrowded holiday weekends, Paramount Pictures has shifted the release date on the comedy The Guilt Trip from Christmas Day to Dec. 19 … a full six days earlier than planned.

Not that the road-trip comedy still won’t face stiff competition. No matter where a movie moves to in December, it’s bound to battle with rival productions for audience attendance. Moving to Dec. 19 – as reported by Deadline -- means that Guilt Trip stars Seth Rogen and Barbra Streisand now must contend with Pixar’s animated re-release of Monsters Inc., Judd Apatow’s This is 40, Paramount’s action-packed Jack Reacher, and Kathryn Bigelow’s hunt-for-Bin-Laden thriller Zero Dark Thirty. The move is a little strange, as Trip goes head-to-head with 40 for essentially the same audience. (Half of Rogen’s audience knows him from his work on Apatow’s movies.) Also, Paramount now competes against itself by putting Reacher and Guilt Trip in the same weekend. The frame is simply too stuffed with cinematic options.

Shifting away from Dec. 25, however, means that the Anne Fletcher-directed comedy gets a welcome head start over the Oscar contenders that expect to flood the marketplace over the Christmas weekend. Django Unchained and Les Miserables have a virtual stronghold on the holiday, and you can start to understand why rival movies would start moving out of the way.

At the very least, no one should be able to complain that there’s nothing worth seeing at the movies in December. And those waiting for The Guilt Trip will be especially pleased, as it now opens earlier than you anticipated.

You probably never would have thought to call Seth Rogen and Barbra Streisand a match made in heaven, but that's what they're looking like anyway in The Guilt Trip, the upcoming comedy in which they play mother and son on a pretty unlikely road trip together. After getting a look at a handful of images recently, we've finally got a trailer for the film, which you can watch below.

Yes, in a way this is pretty much just a setup for a movie that's nothing but Jewish mother jokes. But when that Jewish mother is played by Barbra Streisand, you have to pay attention, especially when she's taking on her first starring role since 1996's The Mirror Has Two Faces. And even though Rogen has kind of a crass stoner reputation, he doesn't really deserve it, having played fully rounded-out characters in films like Take This Waltz and Knocked Up. He may be a schlub, but he's a menschy schlub, and someone with an innate warmth that ought to make him well-suited to a road trip movie like this.

The Guilt Trip is directed by Anne Fletcher, who previously made the smash hit Sandra Bullock-Ryan Reynolds romantic comedy The Proposal. In other words, she is not a woman you want to underestimate, and even though The Guilt Trip is one of the smaller Christmas releases this year, it's got a ton of potential to take everyone by surprise. After all imagine yourself with your family around the holidays, trying to figure out what everyone will want to see. Is it going to be Django Unchained or Zero Dark Thirty? Probably not. The Guilt Trip is the family compromise movie that also looks funny enough to be worth the time.

Were you looking forward to Takashi Shimizu’s in-air horror thriller 7500 or the anticipated Percy Jackson sequel? Well, you’re going to have to wait longer for one, but be able to see the other earlier.

BoxOfficeMojo released a full slate of new release dates and changes for 15 upcoming titles, revealing that Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters will open in theaters nearly two weeks earlier (to March 15, 2013 from March 27, 2013), while 7500 has been bumped from August 2012 to an undetermined 2013 release date. Yikes! What happened? We saw a teaser trailer not too long ago. Does the film need more work? Or does CBS Films think it will play better at a different spot on the calendar?

What else moved around the slate? Well, Louis Leterrier’s crime thriller Now You See Me -- about illusionists who use their skills to pull off bank heists – shifted from January 2013 to a more-coveted March 15, 2013 release date. Seth Rogen’s The Guilt Trip, with Barbara Streisand, moved from Nov. 2 to Christmas Day 2012 (which, I thought, was pretty crowded even without Trip). In it’s place goes Flight, Robert Zemeckis’ drama with Denzel Washington as a flawed pilot given a second chance.

A couple of anticipated films also received release dates for the first time, though given what we reported above, expect these to potentially change. Sylvester Stallone’s Bullet to the Head will open on Feb. 1, 2013. Roland Emmerich’s White House Down lands in theaters on Nov. 1, 2013. And IFC scheduled 2012 drop dates for its anticipated indies Liberal Arts (Sept. 14), How to Survive a Plague (Sept. 21), Sleepwalk With Me (Aug. 24) and Beloved (Aug. 17). Use pencil if you’re writing these down, as they all are subject to change.

Barbra Streisand's adaptation of Stephen Sondheim and Arthur Laurents’ Tony Award-winning musical Gypsy may be back on track, as a report from THR reveals Universal has hired Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes to pen the screenplay. Fellowes' captivating class-conflict TV series has won record-breaking acclaim for PBS, and thrown the spotlight on Fellowes in a major way. So, it's likely Gypsy producers Streisand and Joel Silver (yes, that Joel Silver) paid a pretty penny for Fellowes' coveted services. And rightly so, because all the buzz Fellowes brings to the project may help detract from its troubled beginnings.

Last year there was a dust-up over whether or not Sondheim and Laurents would sign off on another movie version of Gypsy, which famously tells the tale of burlesque superstar Gypsy Rose Lee and her horrifying stage mother, Momma Rose. At the time, it was rumored that Oscar-winning director Tom Hooper was considering directing the musical memoir, but by the time the project shifted from Warner Bros. to Universal and Sondheim and Laurents had given their blessing, Hooper had flown the coop. At this time, no director is attached to Gypsy, which appears to be intended to usher in Streisand's latest comeback.

Aside from her appearances in the woefully insipid Fockers flicks, the two-time Academy Award-winner has been largely absent from film for the last decade. Now, there's absolutely no word in THR's piece that suggests she's looking to star, but it's inconceivable to me that Babs would bring another Gypsy to audiences without sinking her teeth into the meaty role of Momma Rose, especially when it comes to "Rose's Turn." It's such a brassy song, born to be belted by a serious singer with a voice like buttah! I just can't fathom Streisand casting someone else to tackle this classic while she still has air in her lungs.

In case you're unfamiliar, here's diva Bette Midler unleashing her version in the 1993 Gypsy TV movie:

Locked away deep in the annals of film history, the crew over at JoBlo have miraculously unearthed this clip from the 1983 production of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. But this is no ordinary behind the scenes footage, director Steven Spielberg has taken practical joking to a whole new level.

As you are well aware, or should be at least, Indy spends a little time strapped to a stone before receiving a rough flogging with his own whip. Well, since good ole Harrison Ford was tied down with his back turned, what better time than to have Barbra Streisand start whipping him for all his film making “crimes”. Then he does one better. Take a look and see if you can make out who the other two practical jokers are.

This may just be one of the best finds in the history of film. Obviously the quality is beyond terrible, but if you squint your eyes and listen closely you can see Carrie Fisher, Princess Leia for the uninitiated, give her Han Solo a big kiss and Empire Strikes Back director Irvin Kerschner pleads with Spielberg to make them do it better. For Christmas this year, I’m asking for a higher quality version of this. Maybe Spielberg will see this low-res version and start digging through the old film reels and deliver something to us that’s actually viewable.

So take a look now, and see the transcript below if you can’t make them out, and enjoy what may or may not be the only time you ever hear Barbra Streisand say the word ‘faggot’ in your entire life.

Outstanding.

Barbra Streisand hasn’t made a legitimate movie since The Mirror Has Two Faces back in 1996. This statement is only true if, like me, you refuse to acknowledge the existence of those Focker sequels. The nearly 69-year-old actress, singer, and occasional gay icon may be about to change that by starring in a movie for the producer of The Matrix. Don’t worry, she won’t have to know Kung Fu.

THR says super-producer Joel Silver is heading up an adaptation of the 1959 Broadway musical Gypsy and has Barbra Streisand in talks to star. Apparently they’re still a long way from actually getting her to sign on the dotted line, meetings with lyricist Steven Sondheim and others are ongoing, as a means of convincing her this adaptation is where she belongs.

Here’s the problem with this Gypsy idea. It’s sort of already been done. The original play (based on the memoir by Gypsy Rose Lee) has an awful lot in common with the already failed Cher/Christina Aguilera musical Burlesque, in that it’s about a young burlesque dancer and her relationship with an older, wiser striptease stage mom figure. Except of course, these days Barbra is considerably more classy than Cher and unlikely to strut around screen in some sort of age-inappropriate lingerie. That makes it pretty hard to imagine her involved in anything as unseemly as striptease, especially at her current age. Hey this movie’s sounding better than Burlesque already.

Director Paul Weitz has a ton of pressure on him with his latest film, Little Fockers. Not only does he have to manage a massive top-notch cast, but he’s also the guy who has to take the reins from Jay Roach, the man who helmed the first two films that grossed over $330 million and $516.6 million worldwide, apiece. But Weitz is the guy responsible for critically acclaimed films like About a Boy and In Good Company and he certainly has experience managing an ensemble cast and dealing with some pretty raunchy material thanks to his very first feature, American Pie. Little Fockers was right up his alley.

This time around the action takes place in Greg and Pam’s (Ben Stiller and Teri Polo) hometown, Chicago. They’re about to throw a big birthday party for their twins and the whole family is coming for the occasion. Well, everyone except Greg’s dad, Bernie (Dustin Hoffman), because he’s busy studying the Flamenco in Barcelona. As much as the kids want their grandfather to be there, one less person might not be a bad thing because Greg is already trying to deal with the usual pressure from Pam’s father, Jack (Robert De Niro), her ex, Kevin (Owen Wilson), trying to get the kids into the esteemed Early Human School and attempting to promote the erectile dysfunction medication for the beautiful drug rep Andi Garcia (Jessica Alba) without Pam questioning his motives.

There’s a lot going on in this film and there was a lot going on on the set as well. While Weitz was thrilled to be working with John Hamburg on the script, a significant amount of material came naturally, through improvisation. Unfortunately, with so much on-set inventing came many more cuts in the editing room. Check out what Weitz had to say about guiding his cast while still giving them their freedom, what didn’t make it into the film, but will be on the DVD and much more.

When it came time to take on this franchise, what were some of the clichés you knew you wanted to avoid?

One cliché I wanted to avoid is that there’s no reason to do the third version of a franchise and there’s a big temptation to just go to the well and have 100 Focker jokes and every new actor who comes to it wants to at some point say, ‘Focker, Focker!’ [Laughs] You have to gently go in and say, ‘I’m sorry. We just did that five minutes ago in the film.’

Can you tell us about the Jaws and The Godfather references? Were those in the script or just something that came up while filming?

The Godfocker reference was in the script phase and I assume it was John Hamburg who did a lovely job and was really helpful to me not only in terms of the script, but in terms of helping me make the film. That was part of what made this make sense to me was this ridiculous sense that there is such a thing as complete leadership of a family and that it’s going to fall to the man to be that and Ben’s character is confident enough in his life now that makes him fall into this fatal trap of being The Godfocker. Then in terms of the Jaws scene, I can’t remember when that came up. It might have been the stunt coordinator who put some Jaws music over it. [Laughs]

How do you manage all those personalities and getting them all screen time?

[Laughs] It is like managing an all-star team where you have to distribute the ball. This one, the generator of it is Ben [Stiller] and Bob [De Niro]’s relationship, which is similar to the first film and there’s so much conflict in that relationship that it’s a good place for it to be. I’ve witnessed in my directing that I can make actors worse as well as make them better and so I try to recognize that. If I give a terrible note, I’ll go up and say, ‘That note was terrible and please just do the opposite or do anything you want.’ [Laughs] They know what they’re doing and eventually it boils down to some game of make believe where you’re having a good time trying to figure out what that character would be going through and that’s what I would tell to my idols who I was getting to direct.

This film has a lot of physical comedy. Did you ever look at the script and say, ‘This is going too far?’

I did start out by directing American Pie, so I have great experiences with bodily fluids of all type. [Laughs] Nothing was ever going to feel quite as inappropriate as that. My experience did come in handy. I know that when you’re doing a certain kind of situation below the belt, it’s [the actor’s] decision what size of prosthetic they’re going to get. [Laughs] So I’m pretty shameless and what you try to pay attention to is that everything is hopefully coming out of something that the characters are doing. So the kid vomits not just because it would be funny and mortifying to be vomited on by your kid, but because Greg is stupid enough to think that now that he’s the boss of his family, he’s going to get his kid to eat something that the kid doesn’t want to eat. I’ve done that in a restaurant. It was actually way worse than the situation in the film. [Laughs] I was trying to get her to eat some sort of peanut butter praline thing and my daughter threw up on me and on the table.

Did you feel the need to top the other movies?

I didn’t think I could top the others. I think the funny thing in this one is that so much of that mortification is born by Bob’s character. He’s the one who gets the erection that he can’t get rid of and he’s the one who gets buried under a ton of dirt and so it was interesting to shift things a little in that direction.

How difficult is it to sit down with Robert De Niro and say, ‘We’re going to fit you with a prosthetic penis and then we’re going to throw some dirt on you?’

Well, if I said it that way, it would be really difficult. Bob is really game and he really wants to get it right. It’s somewhat terrifying having your star jumping into a ball pit with full force, face first and you just really hope that it’s in focus and that you’re not going to have him do it too many times because he will do it. It’s not difficult with him because he’s so game.

Was anything off limits with him?

I gave him a couple of cringe worthy notes. It was really funny because I got to rehearse with him a little bit and I genuinely was rehearsing with Bob and Ben and everybody as if I was doing the school play. [Laughs] I was doing acting exercises. There’s that scene when they’re on the phone together and I knew I was going to have them in the same room when they shot it. I knew it had to feel somehow like they’re in the same room when they were cutting back and forth between locations, so it was a room about this size and I set it up so that there were six chairs and at a certain point in the dialogue, I started them far apart and had them move closer and closer until they were really facing each other. I’m sure that they were absolutely just humoring me, but they did it.

What do you think you brought to this franchise?

I think eventually I brought a degree of humility, which is probably the main quality that was going to serve me. I am sort of drawn to people grappling with the myth of what manliness is and how that works and how that very culture clearly isn’t outdated. I’m also in a similar situation to Ben’s character in that I have a six-year-old daughter and a three-year-old son and so I’m at that point where it no longer feels like some sort of fever dream that I have children; it’s sunk in that I have kids and I could quite possibly screw up this most important job. Also I can identify with his feelings of insecurity, perhaps often too much. [Laughs] And also I bring to it being a fan of these actors, so it was exciting to me doing a bunch of takes with Bob or Dustin [Hoffman] Barbra [Streisand] or Harvey [Keitel] – and to get to say their first names. [Laughs]

Jay Roach produced this film, so did he have any good advice for you having directed the first two films?

I asked him early on, ‘How many takes do you do?’ And he kind of said, ‘Let them go.’ I wish he was around sometimes because sometimes it was hard for me to know when to say cut, which is kind of like the director’s main job. If you sit around dozing in your chair and then mumble cut at a certain point, the movie will get made. [Laughs] But when you have people that are improvising and doing real fun stuff it’s really hard; there were times when I called cut and they’d look over at me and go, ‘We were just getting into it.’ So then the next take, I’d wait around and I wouldn’t call cut until the camera ran out and they’d look at me and sort of go, ‘Why are you doing this to us?’ [Laughs] So those were moments when I wished Jay would have been around to nudge me.

How was it directing Barbra specifically?

There’s a scene, which will be on the DVD extras where she sings really poorly. She sings “Happy Birthday” very off key. [Laughs] I know she had a hoot doing it and I found it really funny. She is very prepared. When I first met her, I went to her house and we were sitting in a room and at first, my back was to the ocean and around twilight she said, ‘How would you like to sit over here and catch the view from this side?’ So I said, ‘Sure, that’s be great.’ So I went and sat over there and I realized that she had changed her lighting. She was in complete control [laughs], so I had no delusions. She’s a marvelous director and a powerful mind, so I just had a really good time doing it and she was very gracious about my fumbling around.

Did she adlib a lot?

She adlibbed a bit, but it was more like she would come in with ideas for the script or that she and Dustin would work something out. I think Dustin really cracks her up and I think sometimes before a take, before I’d start shooting, I’d hear them giggling and I knew it was Dustin doing something inappropriate with her. [Laughs]

You’re speaking about the actors as though you’re constantly managing improvisation and always thinking about ways to approach them. Is that true? What is the way that you approach them?

One thinks of improvisation as coming up with new lines, but actually acting needs to be improvisatory because filmmaking is so mechanical. You have these cameras around; it’s a little easier when it’s digital, but still, there’s people standing around watching and possibly texting other people and it’s very hard to retain the feeling of reality, which is you don’t know how you’re going to react next. You might know what you’re going to say next in a conversation, but you don’t know how you’re going to say it. So I feel like there’s some element of being prepared and at the same time trying to create spontaneity even if it’s exactly what’s scripted on the page. To me it’s always about keeping a moving target with the actor. What I want is no separation between the actor and the character, that they internalized it so much and know so much more about that character than I do that they’re living inside the moment in a very strange situation, which is the lowly thing about filmmaking, there’s some lesson there about being spontaneous in an artificial situation.

Bob, Owen [Wilson] and Dustin spoke about how there were some great scenes that were improvised that didn’t make it into the final cut. Can you tell us about them? Can we expect to see some of this on the DVD?

You can expect about five movies worth of stuff. Everybody sort of points to editing as a marvelous part of the filmmaking process and it is, but it’s also kind of heartbreaking because you end up, for the sake of the film being as tight as possible, cutting lots of really terrific stuff and that was certainly the case here. Some of my favorite stuff is not in the film.

Like what?

Some of the really eccentric stuff. There’s a point when Owen falls from the flagpole at the end. Actually Laura Dern was there at one point and he says that he’s like Icarus – flew too close to the sun. [Laughs] I really liked that and I wish it was in the film, but it will be on the DVD I imagine.

I was really looking forward to making a joke about Teri Polo being the “Motherfocker” to Ben Stiller’s “The Godfocker” in this piece, but not only are the “fock” jokes completely overdone at this point, but Polo was a bit under the weather and couldn’t attend the Little Fockers press day. However, on the bright side, that did mean the press got the Byrnes family matriarch, Blythe Danner, all to ourselves.

In the third installment, Dina Byrnes is back and ready to do whatever is necessary in order to insure her husband Jack (Robert De Niro) and son-in-law Greg (Ben Stiller) play nice. She and Jack travel to Chicago where Greg and Pam are preparing for their twin’s birthday party. While they rush to set up for the bash, attempt to get the twins into the prestigious Early Human School and Greg tries to make an extra buck promoting the erectile dysfunction medication Sustengo, Dina is busy considering more of Roz Focker’s sexual advice.

Danner may have been unexpectedly flying solo during this press conference, but she certainly had no problem fielding all of our questions. In fact, she wanted more. Danner took the time to address everything from returning to the franchise to the pressure of showing off Dina’s more sexual side and much more. Take a look for yourself below.

What makes you most excited about doing another Focker movie? Is it seeing your friends and playing this character?

Blythe Danner: It’s feeling comfortable and knowing I’m going to have a nice paycheck. I think it’s the comfort zone because it always takes a while when you’ve joined a new cast to adapt to one another and, ‘How does that one work,’ and, ‘Gee, can I bee this kooky?’ It’s a very sensitive thing when you’re working with the other actors to find out first how they work. With this group when we first began, I’d known Ben [Stiller] a little bit since he was a little boy because his parents were friends, so I saw when he was first starting how brilliant he was. And Bob [De Niro], of course, is iconic and so I was a little intimidated, but he was very welcoming and all embracing. We immediately felt like a company. So that was when we were Focker virgins. [Laughs]

Can you tell us about that seduction scene?

That was fun. I was very nervous being an older lady putting on all that underwear, but in the film I think it’s very brief, so I don’t know that you see anything. I knew they would certainly not want to show too much because that’s a little unsightly at my age [laughs], but that was a lot of fun. Bob has this hilarious way of breaking up. He’s very quiet and he just kind of shakes, [imitates De Niro laughing], with this little expression on his face. I think he had a lot of fun on this one. He seemed to really let loose. There were some things that were cut out, which I was sorry about. I think they shot it, when Ben wakes up in the beginning of the film having a nightmare that Bob’s dressed in a wedding gown and all gussied up and comes towards him to kiss him and then he wakes up. I was so sorry it wasn’t in it because I’d love to see that. [Laughs]

This is a gift. Doing these is really a gift because they’re tremendous fun, they don’t demand a lot of us like the boys. Barbra [Streisand] and Dustin [Hoffman] in the second were also a gift; that was such a great infusion of energy having them there. And in this one Jessica Alba who could just eat with a spoon, she’s so beautiful and funny and spunky. And Laura [Dern] who I adore is a friend as well and Harvey Keitel. I wish Harvey even had more scenes because he’s so funny. I just feel fortunate to have had this because I work on a lot of independent films so this one is really like sort of being treated like queen for a day. They put you in your own beautiful camper, lovely food. Sometimes you dress behind a bathroom, on certain films.

[Your daughter], Gwyneth [Paltrow], is getting a lot of attention recently for her musical talent in Country Song. Where do you think that interest in singing came from?

My family was very musical. My brother is an opera singer, my parents both sang. My earliest memories of Gwyneth first singing is in bed when we would make up songs. The most I could do was harmonize like a third above and at two years old, she’d be doing sixths. I said, ‘Where in the world did that come from?’ She’d just make up songs. And then she would sort of jazz scat to Sesame Street [laughs]. I thought, ‘My gosh. We’ve got something here.’ But she’s always been musical. When she did Jefferson in Paris, the Merchant Ivory people sent over a harpsichord to her apartment. My husband and I gave her and her brother piano lessons when they were small, but she would just throw the music away and could only really play it by ear, which nobody in the family had ever done. That was extraordinary. They used her on the score of Jefferson in Paris because she’d become so proficient with playing harpsichord and didn’t read the music, just heard it. So that’s something that’s above and beyond anything the family could do.

How would you describe yourself as a mother-in-law in real life?

I don’t give my advice unless it’s asked for. [Laughs] I have a very dear son-in-law and an incredible daughter-in-law, so I’m really blessed. I have another son and another daughter. I think you just have to be very careful. You want to be around as much as you hope they want you around and the way to do that is just to be all embracing. They’re such peripatetic full lives and I feel very fortunate that I’m a part of them.

In the film you play a proud grandmother, so what’s it like being a grandmother in real life?

It’s what they say; you don’t have the responsibility, but you have all the joy and it’s wonderful. I guess I’m amazed at they’re wisdom. My daughter is extraordinary with them. She’s a much more patient mother than I was and she pulled back in the way that I pulled back, but I had never had the career she had when I pulled back. I always said to her, ‘Don’t leave until you’ve really made your mark so you can relax and then come back as you want to.’ And she did; she won her Oscar and that was thrilling, but when she had children she just was completely devoted to that and listens to them and talks to them. They never have temper tantrums because she just knows how to sweep them aside and talk to them and they listen. She’s very rational. [Laughs] I just admire it. I don’t know how she does it really. They’re very wise little ones. I’ve been trying to sell an apartment I’ve had in California and little Mosey who was just three at the point said to me, ‘Lalo, do you have three houses?’ He was thinking of the New York apartment and I was building the little solar thermal house; I’ve been involved in the environment for longer than Gwyneth’s alive and they call me “Lalo.” So, I said, ‘I guess I do Mosey,’ and he said, ‘Lalo, you don’t need three houses, do you?’ It was just wild. They’re very wise and very dear; they’re sweet kids, they’re not spoiled kids.

Do you see this movie as a roadmap for marriages to help get through some of the rough spots along the way?

Yeah, it’s too bad Teri isn’t here to talk about that. She was saying, I think what happens after you’re in a marriage for a while and you have children and there’s not that much time for one another, your whole focus is the children. I remember when the children were going off, I actually worried what [my husband and I] would talk about. I thought, ‘Gee, our wholes lives have been them and now what would we talk about?’ Of course, when they left, we realized why we’d gotten together in the first place and that we really did like one another a lot. [Laughs] What I like about this film too is that they’re two married couples. There are the Fockers and the Byrnes and they’re both married, which is a rarity. I’m finding myself just sort of assuming when I meet people and they talk about their families and you want to say, ‘Are your parents together?’ So many aren’t anymore. My husband was very special and very funny and outspoken and he would have a black and blue every so often because under the table, I’d say, ‘Don’t say that!’ Sort of what Dina does to Jack.

What’s your ideal project at this point? What do you really want to do? Something with Gwyneth, a musical, comedy, TV …

Any of the above! We played Sylvia together; she was so brilliant as Sylvia Plath. I played her mother in that. We’ve been up to Williamstown; with Chris Walken we played Chekhov’s The Seagull and we did another new play up there. I’m up for anything, especially stage I love. I hope that she’ll be doing more on stage, too. I know she would like to.

I’d love to see the two of you sing together.

That would be fun! I’d like that. We were always harmonizing in our family. My son too has a wonderful voice and they’d be in the back singing “Stand By Me” and all these songs. So, yeah, luckily I’ve been working quite a bit. I’ve got a few things coming out; I’ve got a film with Anna Faris and one with Simon Pegg and some of the kids from Saturday Night Live. The wonderful thing is that they need grandmothers now, so I feel my career’s not completely dead. And we hope more of these will come along if you all like them enough.

There’s been a metric ton of speculation and even a few intentionally leaked set photos, but up till now no one really seems to have had any idea what the already filming Sex and the City sequel might be about. Tonight, for the first time, we may have answers. Sex and the City 2 is throwing a big, gay, wedding.

Gossip site Just Jared claims that an “insider” says the movie will involve a wedding between the series’ notable gay couple, played by Mario Cantone and Willie Garson. There had been some speculation that the film might actually be marrying off Samantha, but apparently photos leaked of her in a wedding gown were, much like communism, just a red herring.

Since the first movie already covered the wedding thing pretty adequately, it’s hard to imagine that yet another marriage would be the central plot of the sequel, let alone the wedding of two minor side characters. It’s more likely that this is just some sub plot, maybe while the wedding happens Big will impregnate Carrie behind a pew or something. That doesn’t mean it isn’t a big deal. Their source claims they’re planning celebrity cameos from gay icons to class up the occasion. They’ve reportedly already signed Liza Minnelli and are currently in “secret talks” with Barbra Streisand.