Four tech CEOs, drunk on power, reunite at a mountaintop home amid a global economic crisis they might be partially responsible for. "There is a power that is purchased by money, where they don't have to apologize for their behavior," Cory Michael Smith says about playing Venis in Jesse Armstrong's HBO film Mountainhead (May 31). "A lot of these guys probably grew up not being the coolest kids in class." Part of the struggle for Smith was finding the space between drama and comedy. "Figuring out the balance was a little nerve-racking." Plus, Smith was excited to work with Armstrong. "I watched Succession, like most actors, with awe and envy, thinking, 'Wow, that's the luckiest cast.' Being invited into his [Armstrong's] feature directorial debut is so dreamy." Smith was also eager to work alongside Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman and Ramy Youssef. "I'm really grateful that I feel like I didn't f*** it up...this felt like a monstrous opportunity, and a monstrous opportunity to fail and have to really consider going back to school if I just humiliated myself." 

Watch the full chat with Cory Michael Smith: https://www.newsweek.com/2025/05/30/cory-michael-smith-embraces-chaos-jesse-armstrongs-mountainhead-2074986.html 

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Darren Criss is an Emmy-winning actor, but deep down he's a musical theater nerd. Which is why he's so proud to be part of this year's Tony-nominated musical Maybe Happy Ending. "Everybody involved in [Broadway], we all work within a 10-some-odd block radius, and it is really like a campus celebration." For Criss, who plays Oliver, a robot in futuristic Seoul in love with another robot, Claire (played by Helen J. Shen), it's "nothing short of a miracle." "You kind of hope for this your whole life." After picking up 10 Tony nominations, including Criss' for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical, it's clear countless others did too. "I hope it runs for many moons in other countries and in other dimensions." Part of what makes the show unique is its path to Broadway. "Every step along the way, it has been an exponential groundswell of positive response, because everything is just earnest ideas believed in by earnest people." And it's been a benchmark for diversity and Asian stories on Broadway. "I always like to say that the victory is in the conversation." 

Watch the full chat with Darren Criss: https://www.newsweek.com/2025/06/13/tony-nominee-darren-criss-miracle-that-maybe-happy-ending-2077612.html 

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Everyone remembers life's growing pains right after you leave your parents' home. For Jack Innanen, part of the ensemble of the new FX series Adults, there are certain things that made him feel like an adult really quick. "Tax season and when I'm working on my visa, those ones get me locked in. I'm like, 'Oh, I'm a man in the eyes of the government.'" Before Innanen was cast as Paul Baker on Adults—only the second project he auditioned for after moving to New York City from Canada—he was best known for his viral social media presence. "It's a completely different beast," he says about creating social content versus filming a show. "They're not the same at all." But he knows how fortunate he is. "I don't even know if I understand the trajectory to whatever mix of luck and serendipity I've found myself in." And he loves that Adults shows a group of young people trying to make sense of it all. "The veil of adulthood has come down, and I think the show really plays into that. It's trying to figure out who you are, how you exist as a proper adult." 

Watch the full chat with Jack Innanen: https://www.newsweek.com/2025/05/30/how-jack-innanen-went-social-media-star-fxs-adults-2074995.html 

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Survivor 48 winner Kyle Fraser joins runners-up Eva Erickson and Joe Hunter for their post-finale showdown—and yes, we talk about Kyle's secret alliance with Kamilla that helped him torch the final tribal. (And yes, we talked about his caked-up backside and how that helped him win a million dollars.) Meanwhile, Eva and Joe break down their ride-or-die public alliance and how they maintained it until the end without ever having to go mean. Eva opens up about how her being open about her autism helped her game and Joe gets emotional about what this game meant to him. If you’re a Survivor fan, this is the episode of the Parting Shot to listen to. 

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Join a hilarious chat with Michael Henry and Tim Murray as they spill the tea on their OutTV series Wish You Were Queer. From outrageous moments to behind-the-scenes antics, the duo dives into the chaos that fuels their comedy. (And how Trixie Mattel feels about their travels.)

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We’re serving a double dose of glam and gossip with RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars queens Phoenix and Olivia Lux. From werkroom whispers to main stage moments, we’re unpacking it all—growth, glow-ups, and a little bit of shade. Olivia spills on finding her voice beyond the glitz, Phoenix gets real about legacy and evolution, and of course, we talk about this new format of All Stars.

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On this episode of the Parting Shot, Summer House’s Imrul Hassan shares his powerful story of navigating life while previously being undocumented. Speaking with Newsweek’s Jenni Fink, Hassan gets vulnerable about his journey to citizenship, and why he felt it was important to talk about it on one of Bravo's most popular shows.

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How did Alexander Skarsgård prepare to play a security robot that starts to find free will in Apple TV+’s Murderbot (May 16)? “Well, I’ve spent 48 years being emotionally unavailable. That’s a good start.” [laughs] Skarsgård plays the titular character Murderbot, which must hide its ability for free thought while tackling dangerous assignments for the humans it has been assigned to. Oh, and it binge watches a fictional soap opera. “I think Murderbot watches [The Rise and Fall of] Sanctuary Moon and other soap operas as a kind of anthropological study. It’s a way to understand humans and humanity from a safe distance.” Part of the appeal of the story for Skarsgård was the genre itself. “There are no limitations. When you create a sci-fi show, you’re not bound to the rules or restrictions here on Earth. You can let your creativity flow.” And while Skarsgård doesn’t “foresee a romantic relationship,” there is one rather revealing full frontal scene that actually says quite a bit. “Murderbot is created for one purpose and one purpose only—security. So why give him genitals?” 

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With WorldPride descending on D.C., we’re diving deep into a powerful and often overlooked corner of queer history. Jonathan Edelman, Collections Curator, and Sarah Leavitt, Director of Curatorial Affairs at the Capital Jewish Museum joins Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott to explore their groundbreaking exhibit: LGBT Jews in the Federal City. We discuss the stories behind the artifacts, the intersections of Jewish and LGBTQ+ identities, and how queer Jewish Washingtonians have shaped the city’s cultural and political landscape. Whether you’re a history buff, a museum nerd, or just here for the Pride, this episode brings the past to life in the most meaningful way. 

For more about LGBT Jews in the Federal City at the Capital Jewish Museum, visit https://capitaljewishmuseum.org/exhibition/lgbtjews-in-the-federal-city/ 

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Diego Boneta knew he wanted to write a sexy, steamy murder mystery for his first novel. “And I also really wanted it to be a novel that was a great summer read.” That’s exactly what he’s done with The Undoing of Alejandro Velasco. Set in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, the story follows a mysterious young man, Julian Villareal, who arrives at the estate of his friend and tennis rival, Alejandro Velasco, after his sudden death. “You think he’s this super rich kid from Mexico City, who’s studying at UCLA, and then you slowly start realizing that he’s not who he says he is.” The book is also being adapted by Amazon MGM Studios as an original series. “It’s my first time doing this, where it’s acting out a character that I wrote in a novel.” But for Boneta, whose father was a “national [tennis] champion in Mexico [and] played Wimbledon,” he’s more than prepared to play Julian. “Julian is something that I already have in my DNA, because we’ve been working on this for so long now, I just want to make sure that it’s the best version of the show that it can be for audiences to be entertained.”

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