"I'm a fan of Bridget Jones.... That I share that with so many people is a really cool thing," Renée Zellweger told Newsweek’s Parting Shot in an exclusive interview. Nearly 24 years ago, the movie starring Zellweger as that young, single, British woman who started a diary was released. Its protagonist subsequently became a cultural phenomenon, a symbol of the modern British woman and an international example of liberated women everywhere. And the real-life woman who made her famous became so identifiable with the character from Helen Fielding's 1996 book Bridget Jones's Diary that it's almost impossible to imagine any other actor in the role. 

Now Zellweger is back with Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy. Zellweger chats with Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott about the legacy of Bridget Jones, what about her she relates to most, and why she’s so protective of her.  

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He’s been in the business for more than 40 years, but Mark-Paul Gosselaar still feels like he hasn’t experienced everything. “I still feel like I have so much left to learn. Every time I walk on a set, I learn something.” Currently on NBC’s Found, Gosselaar plays Sir, a man held captive by Gabi (played by Shanola Hampton), the adult woman his character kidnapped as a child. He chose the role because it was unlike anything he’s done before. “I’m always looking for something to challenge me... that when I read it, I become a bit anxious about playing that role.” And there’s still so much to be revealed about Sir. “We’ve just scratched the surface. There was an episode last season that showed Sir’s childhood. I’ve been told that possibly in upcoming seasons we’ll go deeper into Sir as a child, because there’s a lot of questions that need to be answered.” Part of what Gosselaar loves about Found is the chemistry he has with Hampton. “I enjoy coming to set because we have the leader of the show, Shanola, setting the tone as a good person... It’s just a great environment to be creative in.”

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When it comes to celebrity interviews, the first name that comes to mind is probably not Malcolm Gladwell. But The Tipping Point writer says he will “defend my props as a celebrity interviewer” on Audible’s The Unusual Suspects with Kenya Barris and Malcolm Gladwell. “I just thought, it's fun to hang out with Kenya and his celebrity friends... [but] the truth is, we're not just talking with celebrities.” And that mix of celebrities, business figures, politicians and others is what makes their conversations so thrilling.  

“We're actually not as odd, but it's an interesting combination,” Kenya Barris told Newsweek. "We want people who are at the top of their [field]. [We] ask, 'What was the thing behind the thing? What was the thing that you didn't see?'" And if the caliber of their first guests is any indication, there will be lots more to come. "I hope that people will receive it, because there's so many people who I'd love to talk to that I think are culturally zeitgeist-defining characters that people may not know about." 

Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott chats with Malcolm and Kenya about the The Unusual Suspects, their guests, and why their pairing just works.  

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Did you watch The Traitors or RuPaul’s Drag Race this week? Because if you did, this episode is for you. First H. Alan Scott is chatting with Robyn Dixon of Real Housewives fame about her exit from the castle on Traitors. Then he’s joined by Drag Race’s Joella about her exit from the show and she addresses some of her comments that went viral.  

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From Boyz N the Hood in 1991 until now, Morris Chestnut has seen much of Hollywood. "I've been through pretty much everything in the industry." Now he's starring in and executive producing CBS's new drama Watson (January 26). It "was a no-brainer" for Chestnut when he was approached to play Dr. John Watson. "It's just a blessing and an honor to have that opportunity." Based within the mythology of Sherlock Holmes, Watson picks up a year after Holmes' death. "The character's dealing with the loss of his best friend." This depth is something that Chestnut feels he's most qualified to portray now. "Fifteen years ago, I don't know if I'd be able to do the role the way I'm able to do it now." But one thing Chestnut is most grateful for is the relationship he's built with fans from films like Boyz N the Hood and The Best Man. "If I were to say, right now today, let's get a project together where people are going to be talking about it 30 years from now, everybody wants that. But it doesn't happen that often. And I've been blessed enough to be involved in two of them."

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Wells Adams, the Bachelor in Paradise bartender, unfortunately had an early boot from this season of Peacock’s The Traitors. But his time on the show was memorable, particularly because of his game play and just how charming he was. He speaks with Newsweek’s Parting Shot about all of this, what he would have done differently and who he’s rooting for to win.

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Now that Julia Stiles has directed her first feature film, Wish You Were Here, she sees the work of directors in a whole new light. “I almost wanted to call some directors that I had worked with and be like, ‘I'm so sorry that I was annoyed with you when you told me to do that thing.’” Best known for acting, when she read the novel the film is based on, she knew she needed to adapt it. “The book broke my heart but also made me laugh. It felt like it had such a good spirit to it, and I'm a romantic at heart.” The film follows a young woman swept up in a new romance only to learn he’s terminally ill. While she says she ran “in the other direction” of making the film too saccharine, she didn’t let that cynical voice fully take over. “There is something really important about showing how much this girl takes care of him, and that it's okay to be kind and loving toward another person.” And now she says adding director to her credits has made her a better actor. “I think I realized that if you trust your director, and I mean really trust that person and believe in their vision, you can throw spaghetti against the wall and see what sticks.”

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Nearly 30 years after Marianne Jean-Baptiste received an Oscar nomination for her first collaboration with director Mike Leigh, Secrets & Lies, the pair are back together with Hard Truths. “It’s been so nice to just spend time with him,” Jean-Baptiste tells Newsweek’s Parting Shot. Jean-Baptiste plays Pansy, a depressed, angry, middle-aged woman who seems to find conflict with everyone. “I’m not too worried about her not being likable, but I was worried about people not having compassion for her.” Part of what makes a Leigh film so unique is the preparation that goes into crafting a character. “He is the only one that works in the way that he works, with the preparation, with the rehearsal.” Once again, Jean-Baptiste is receiving awards buzz for her multilayered performance. But for her, it’s less about her performance and more about people discovering the film. “It’s becoming more and more difficult to get people to go to the cinema to see films, especially one like this that hasn’t got that big money behind it. So for this film to be sort of the little David against Goliath, it’s a real thrill.” 

Marianne Jean-Baptiste and Mike Leigh chats with H. Alan Scott about Hard Truths, their collaborations and Leigh’s singularly unique way of filmmaking.  

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After the massive success of last season’s The Traitors (streaming now on Peacock), host Alan Cumming knew this season had to be bigger. “There was a pressure to not just repeat ourselves, it actually upped the ante.” And they did just that, with a more explosive cast and even wilder twists. “It is bigger. I'm sort of a cult leader. I've gone from just a dandy, Lord of the manor in his castle, to official cult leader. I'm fine with it.” Cumming hosts a castle full of reality TV stars who all play a game of murder in order to win upwards of $250,000. Even though contestants are from shows like Survivor and Real Housewives, Cumming actually thinks the shows that made them famous has little to do with how well they do. “Everybody has this sort of myth that you have to be in one of those gamer shows to do well at this game and it's not true. Sometimes it's actually good to have better social skills.” Last year, Cumming’s Emmy win ended RuPaul’s historic 8-year winning streak for RuPaul’s Drag Race. “I saw Ru, and I went up to him, and I just went, ‘I am so sorry.’ And he just went, ‘Con-drag-ulations.’ And I was like, ‘He said it!’” [laughs] 

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With inauguration day just around the corner, a lot of people are asking themselves: What can we expect from this new era of Trump? Trump 2.0, if you will. And what actions will he take in his first 100 days? H. Alan Scott is joined by Newsweek’s Katherine Fung to break down everything we can expect from Trump once he takes office. 

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