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First Up At The Toronto Film Festival: Jake Gyllenhaal's 'Demolition,' The Stunning 'Lobster' And More

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And we're off! The Toronto International Film Festival began in earnest on Thursday, and Entertainment editors Erin Whitney and Matthew Jacobs have already taken in several movies. The crowded premiere of opening-night gala selection "Demolition" was our first Canadian screening, capping off a handful of titles we caught before even touching down at TIFF. We'll be bringing you lengthier takes on the festival's happenings in the days to come, but here are quick reactions to the first few films that comprised our 2015 Toronto experience.


"Demolition"


Directed by Jean-Marc Vallée
Written by Bryan Sipe
Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Naomi Watts, Chris Cooper, Judah Lewis and Heather Lind



TIFF tends to make odd selections when it comes to opening-night films. Over the past decade, the much-mocked “The Judge,” the reviled “Fifth Estate,” a U2 documentary and “Score: A Hockey Musical” (nope, not a joke) all introduced the festival. None went on to great success, at least not in the way that “Whiplash” paraded out of 2014’s Sundance or “Black Swan” rode its 2010 Venice buzz to $330 million at the global box office. As it goes, Jean-Marc Vallée is a veritable TIFF darling: “The Young Victoria” opened the festival in 2009, and Oscar champs “Dallas Buyers Club” and “Wild” were part of the past two lineups. Now, his latest, “Demolition,” which the director introduced as the "most rock ‘n’ roll film” he's ever made, polarized audience members walking out of Thursday night’s screening.


But even with Vallée’s stamp all over it, “Demolition” is Jake Gyllenhaal’s affair. He plays Davis Mitchell, a cavalier Wall Street exec who refuses to grieve for his wife after she dies in a violent car crash. Is he heartless? Out of touch with himself? Too absent-minded to muster the energy? Bryce Sipe attempts to find out with a script that rapidly drifts into screwball territory. After a hospital vending machine eats his money, Davis takes to corresponding with the company’s customer-service rep via overwrought letters that double as the only outlet he uses to detail his loss. Said representative, a mother (Naomi Watts) with a problem child of a son (Judah Lewis, destined to be a breakout star) calls Davis at 2 a.m. one morning out of pure intrigue. They strike up a rapport, much to the dismay of his late wife’s forlorn father, who is also Davis’ boss. That family conflict magnifies Davis’ war of stoicism, which ultimately leads to destructive behavior, making “Demoiltion” the portrait of a man in desperate need of an emotional tutor.


In a sense, it’s a familiar story. And as a character study, “Demolition” is flat. Davis’ moves exist in service of the script’s blunt metaphors, which don’t offer a ton of payoff. But Vallée keeps things moving by channeling a more grown-up “Silver Linings Playbook.” The movie also makes for a nice companion piece with Gyllenhaal’s “Nightcrawler” performance -- he was more manic there, but both roles are all id in reluctant search for a super-ego. If “Demolition” didn’t batter you with What It All Means, it could be a great movie. -- MJ


 *****


The Lobster


Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos
Written by Yorgos Lanthimos & Efthymis Filippou
Starring Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, Léa Seydoux, John C. Reilly, Ben Whishaw, Olivia Colman



Those familiar with Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Dogtooth” can expect an absurd, challenging reality from the Greek filmmaker. The 2009 Oscar-nominated film followed the sheltered lives of two sisters confined to their home and raised by their parents' bizarre rules and illogical definitions. Similarly, Lanthimos’ latest takes place in a world largely unfamiliar to our own, though it may be more accessible to mainstream audiences than “Dogtooth.” The most simplified description of “The Lobster” is a sci-fi romance thriller set in a dystopia where one must find a mate in order to survive -- as a human. Single residents of The City must stay at The Hotel where they have 45 days to find a partner, and if time runs out, they are physically transformed into an animal of their choice to live out their life in The Woods.


The premise isn’t far from a “Black Mirror” episode, embodying the futurism of a world that is at once terrifying to imagine yet not far from the realm of possibilities. Colin Farrell, in his best performance in years, if not a career-defining one, plays David, a shy, short-sighted man with a belly (this is not Farrell’s usual confident stud). David checks into The Hotel with a dog and makes friends with two other single men, John C. Reilly’s nameless Lisping Man and Ben Whishaw’s nameless Limping Man. What ensues is a series of events -- some shockingly head-shaking, some comedic, some brutally violent -- in The Hotel that slowly reveal what this dystopian society thrives on and necessitates: the co-dependence of the couple. Being a Loner isn’t permitted in this world, which is the name given to those who escape The Hotel and hide out from hunters to embrace their independence.


Conceptually, “The Lobster” is not only a brilliant piece of filmmaking, but some of the most original writing and original dystopian storytelling in years. The fact that such a wild scenario isn’t a mere adaptation of a book or a remake is commendable alone. But beyond the concept, which actively challenges the audience to follow all the scattered breadcrumbs towards understanding the film’s universe, “The Lobster” is also ripe with charged performances. Léa Seydoux’s Loner Leader stands out as the strongest, a glimmer of hope against the The City’s regime which quickly turns into something even darker. We first meet Rachel Weisz as a voiceover only to discover she does play a significant onscreen character. That’s what’s most thrilling about “The Lobster,” not knowing what to expect moment to moment. -- EW


***** 


"Sicario"


Directed by Denis Villeneuve
Written by Taylor Sheridan
Starring Emily Blunt, Benicio del Toro, Josh Brolin, Victor Garber and Jon Bernthal



Denis Villeneuve values atmosphere above all else. In “Enemy,” the director convinced us that even the most banal shots implied something sinister. And with “Prisoners,” he hid an overcrowded detective story behind layers of chilling suspense. In that sense, “Sicario” is more of the same for the French-Canadian auteur, who has long been a global festival favorite. The movie’s first-half crawls along with quiet menace until the second-half thrusts viewers into a deep-broiled war that’s more existential than geopolitical. 


The marrow of “Sicario” belongs to Kate Macy (Emily Blunt), a robust FBI officer wrangled to help a sketchy former prosecutor (Benecio del Toro) and a sketchier government operative (Josh Brolin) as they hunt down a lethal Mexican drug lord. But cartel wars are peripheral in this movie, written by Taylor Sheridan. At the fore is the sexist mental joust that these men employ to persuade the upstanding Kate to do their bidding, regardless of legal risk or moral bankruptcy. As a character study, “Sicario” at times drags. Villeneuve wants us to know that anyone within eyesight could be corrupt, but the execution provides little understanding of why it’s these characters who shepherd the story along. Amid a murky foot chase near the Arizona border, this story could have anyone at the center.


For the most part, that’s okay. Where “Sicario” acts as an existential thriller about Kate’s resistance to malfeasance, it remains top-notch. Roger Deakins, who shoots the Coen brothers’ movies and earned an Oscar nomination for “Prisoners,” always trains his lens on the most thrilling images in sight. The orange saturation of the sunset makes an impending manhunt seem apocalyptic, and the use of night vision manages to eliminate the distance that exists between the audience and the screen – and it recalls the famous “Silence of the Lambs” scene, which is fitting because Blunt’s role contains traces of Jodie Foster’s Clarice Starling. Smartly, Villeneuve opts for subtle violence, at times reminiscent of "No Country for Old Men." But the characters' ethical indignities, and the patriarchal pressures that Kate endures as a result, are where the film thrives. The lumbering pace makes the movie less riveting than Villeneuve’s previous features, but it has a whole lot more to say. -- MJ


 *****


Victoria


Directed by Sebastian Schipper
Written by Sebastian Schipper, Olivia Neergaard-Holm, Eike Schulz
Starring Laia Costa and Frederick Lau



The gimmick of a one-shot movie is enough to sell most people. Hitchcock experimented with it in “Rope,” Aleksandr Sokurov’s “Russian Ark” stunningly pulled it off and “Birdman” dazzled us with the perception of a one-take movie. But German actor-turned-filmmaker Sebastian Schipper has pulled off something truly groundbreaking -- an over two-hour heist thriller that’s actually filmed in one complete shot, sans editing trickery.


“Victoria” finds the titular young woman from Spain (Laia Costa) partying one night in Berlin. She meets four local guys, one of whom, Sonne (Frederick Lau), she has an instant connection with. They spend the evening drinking and smoking on a rooftop, until Sonne and his friends prepare to leave to handle some unknown, but seemingly dangerous business. When the guys end up needing a driver for their mysterious meeting, Sonne asks Victoria to help them out. Charmed by him, she kindly obliges only to soon learn that she’s roped herself in with a clan of Berlin mobsters who force Sonne and his friends to rob a bank to pay off a debt. What was at first a sweet indie romance accelerates into a viscerally intense heist thriller where the innocent protagonist suddenly takes control. Might we remind you that the camera has yet to cut.


While the one-shot gimmick might seem like more than a gimmick, it turns out to be so much more fulfilling in “Victoria.” The aesthetic and awe of the technique are the groundwork for the story, but eventually the potency of the cast’s performances take precedence over the Schipper’s cinematic stunt. Travelling through nearly two dozen locations around Berlin, the film becomes a moving play that brings out a raw mix of emotions from the actors that makes it nearly impossible to look away from the screen -- even when you’re not asking yourself how the hell it was accomplished. -- EW


 


  


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Melissa Joan Hart Is Not Happy With The Media's 9/11 Anniversary Coverage

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On Friday, Melissa Joan Hart went on social media on the 14th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks to criticize the media for not covering the day enough. 


In her first tweet, Hart called out Fox News and CNN specifically. 





"My children need to know that this day changed our lives in the U.S. and the world and without solid news coverage, I'm discouraged. #neverforget," she wrote in a follow-up tweet. "If kardashians can be covered 24/7 why can't we have one day dedicated to a moment in history that changed our path? I don't need to see tragedy, I need to see stories of healing &memory! #neverforget." (sic)


The 39-year-old actress, who is a Long Island native, also posted about her dismay on Instagram, sharing a photo of the rainbow that appeared over the World Trade Center on Thursday ahead of the anniversary, tagging NBC News. 



 


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Jimmy Fallon Impersonates Donald Trump While Interviewing Donald Trump

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When Jimmy Fallon announced that Republican front-runner Donald Trump was coming to the show Friday, you knew it was going to be big. But this was huuuuugggeee.


Fallon started off the visit by impersonating Trump to his face as the two pretended to be reflections of each other. Then Trump got down to business, discussing his policies. And by that, we mean talking about his looks, throwing out Gary Busey's name for Supreme Court justice and perhaps even choosing Kanye West as his running mate.


Yep. That sounds about right.


It was classy, fantastic and, of course ...




Image: YouTube

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Donald Trump Finally Explains Why He Doesn't Apologize

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If any of the presidential candidates have something apologize for, eh ... it's probably Donald Trump. But don't expect to hear a "sorry" anytime soon.


"I fully think apologizing's a great thing, but you have to be wrong," Trump told Jimmy Fallon on his show Friday.


"This is unbelievable," laughed Fallon. And it is. 


During his brief time campaigning, Trump has managed to mock fellow candidates about their looks, publicly attack Fox's Megyn Kelly over "unfair" questions during a debate and incense millions with his polarizing views on immigration.  


Yeah, that's pretty unbelievable. In Trump's defense, however, he did say if he was ever wrong, he would apologize "sometime in the hopefully distant future."


So, yeah, we'll probably all be dead by then, but at least that's something.


"The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m. ET on NBC.


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Two Die In Plane Crash Involving Tom Cruise Movie Crew Members

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It was a sad day Friday for Tom Cruise's upcoming movie "Mena." After reportedly hitting rough weather, a small plane assigned to the crew of the film crashed near the set in the Colombian Andes, leaving two dead and injuring a third person. Colombia's civilian aviation authority confirmed the news to The Associated Press. Cruise was reportedly not on the plane. 



The victims were reportedly identified as Colombian Carlos Berl and Los Angeles-based film pilot Alan Purwin, whose credits include work on "Pearl Harbor," "Furious 7" and "Pirates of the Caribbean." A third person, Jimmy Lee Garland, was taken to the hospital and put in intensive care.


Universal Pictures released a statement saying, "On behalf of the production, our hearts and prayers go out to the crew members and their families at this difficult time."


The movie follows Cruise as pilot Barry Seal, a drug runner for Pablo Escobar who was later recruited to provide intelligence.


Reps for Universal Pictures and Cruise could not immediately be reached for comment.


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Kim Kardashian Shares Adorable Photo Of North West

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Being a baby can be very emotional. 


Kim Kardashian gets this, and took to Instagram to share a photo of her adorable daughter, North West, looking not quite giggly, aptly captioned "Mood..."



The mother-daughter style icons have been taking on New York Fashion Week like royalty:


 



Do those baby shoes come in adult size?


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5 Things You Didn't Know About 'The West Wing,' According To Dulé Hill

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Although it is now nearing a decade since the show was on the air, "The West Wing" still holds a special place in many television fans' Oval Office-shaped hearts. 


The 2016 presidential election is beginning to pick up steam (if only because of what's emanating from Donald Trump's head) but no candidate is matching the greatness of President Bartlet. So, deciding to retreat back to Aaron Sorkin's Camelot-esque world, The Huffington Post interviewed Dulé Hill -- who played Charlie Young -- about what happened behind the scenes of the show.


 


1. Because of the show's subject matter, the cast got to meet countless high-level politicians. President Bill Clinton and Martin Sheen once bowed out of respect to each other.



Hill told HuffPost he could "probably take up an hour" just talking about how this acting role allowed him to meet famous politicians. At the highest level, Hill met all three living Democratic presidents since the show aired. According to Hill, President Barack Obama even told him, while still a senator, "I need your help to get me into the real West Wing."


The most memorable interaction, in Hill's mind, was the first time the cast got to meet Clinton while he was still in office. The White House had invited the cast to attend the annual Correspondents' Dinner and said that Clinton would like to meet beforehand. Being a fan of Sheen's work, when the president saw the actor, he formally bowed in a grand gesture, which Sheen reciprocated.


Hill recalls thinking, "What is happening?! The real-life president bowing to the fake president and the fake president bowing to the real-life president."


"It was a wonderful thing to see," he said. 


The cast also notably got to meet with Clinton right after his last State of the Union address, which felt surreal to Hill. "He was just on TV addressing the nation and the world and now, here comes the president."


 


2. The cast often pulled pranks after arduous shooting days. Josh Malina got Bradley Whitford particularly bad.



When the actors had to endure long days on set, they apparently tended to start getting loopy with each other. Hill recalled a moment with Allison Janney -- who played C.J. Cregg -- that came from "being delirious from working some 16-hour day on set." As Hill is a skilled tap dancer, but Janney is not, the two would do this joke where Janney would fake tap dancing in a doorway while Hill did it for real behind the wall. It was kind of like watching a bad Saturday morning kung fu translation into English, joked Hill.


These long set days would also lead to pranks between the cast members, with Josh Malina -- who played Will Bailey -- taking a lead. "You got to be careful if you start doing that thing with Josh Malina, because he doesn't have any limits," laughed Hill, claiming the actor would burn down a trailer just to make a joke.


The worst prank he remembers Malina pulling was on a very late night after 9/11, when actors driving out of the studio had to have their cars checked by security. Somehow, Malina had figured out a way to hide "a lot of set memorabilia," such as props from the set, in the trunk of Bradley Whitford's car. When Whitford -- who played Josh Lyman -- attempted to leave the lot and the security guard asked him to pop the trunk, there was obviously a huge problem -- and an even later night ensued. Hill couldn't stop laughing while telling the story.


One time, Hill tried to get Malina back. After losing a few games of poker, Hill owed Malina a couple hundred dollars that he didn't really want to pay, so he'd call him up in the middle of the night using a threatening voice, saying, "Forgive the bet, forgive the bet." It's unclear if the debt was ever erased, but Malina does still prank Hill after all these years. Anytime someone tweets at Malina asking for a favorite episode, he responds "the one where Charlie dies," according to Hill. "I'm like wow, I didn't know my character had died on the show," Hill joked. He also noted fans should know that his favorite episode "is the one where Will Bailey dies."


 


3. Sheen's memorable way of putting on his jacket came from having to work around a birth defect.



TK TK gifs

Sheen once told a crowd in Dubai, as transcribed by News, "I was born under very difficult circumstances. They used a forcep and it smashed my left shoulder so I have very limited use of my left hand."


In a Season 5 extra about Sheen's way of putting on jackets, the actor further explained that he has "no lateral movement in his left arm" due to the incident and therefore devised that method as a boy, for shirts and jackets and whatever else he had to put two arms inside.


Hill, who looked to Sheen as a close mentor to teach him to handle himself in the entertainment world, actually had already learned how to do the jacket flip before meeting Sheen. "That's one thing Martin didn't have to teach me," he said. Even so, he felt Sheen's execution has "a real swagger. Presidential swagger."


 


4. Hill was about a month away from being broke and quitting his pursuit of acting before he got the role of Charlie.



"About a month and a half" before getting "The West Wing" job, Hill told HuffPost, he was playing video games over at his friend Freddie Prinze Jr.'s house, whom he knew from "She's All That."


"I said, 'Freddy, if I don't get a job quickly, I'm either going to have to go back to Jersey, or I'm coming to live with you, because I am about to be broke."


He then auditioned for Charlie, and within a couple weeks, landed the role with a four-episode guarantee. Just about two months after he made the comment to Prinze, Hill was filming a scene right near the White House with Sheen, Whitford, Rob Lowe (Sam Seaborn), Richard Schiff (Toby Ziegler) and NBA star at the time, Juwan Howard. Hill recalled how he felt:



It really was a surreal time. 'What's happening right now?!' Maybe two months ago I was telling Freddie I was about to be broke and now I'm playing basketball with Juwan Howard and theres the White House right there. And there's Martin Sheen, too. I still remember being like, 'What the heck is happening?!' Just, wow, OK.



 

5. The cast wasn't completely happy about the direction of the show after Aaron Sorkin and Tommy Schlamme were forced out.



TK TK gifs

Perhaps most notably, Richard Schiff has been vocal about his disdain for where his character was taken after Sorkin and Schlamme's departure. The actor told Entertainment Weekly he "was very, very hurt" that nobody told him his character, Toby, would leak classified information and betray the president.


"They didn’t tell me in advance like Aaron and Tommy would have," Schiff said. "Clearly they didn’t want to tell me because they were scared of my reaction to it. I would have talked them out of it because it was not in line with the six years of work that I built with that character."


At the time, Sorkin even wrote to Schiff saying, "I’ve heard what’s happening to your character and I’m so sorry," according to the actor. Schiff ended up imagining his own backstory to justify the actions. "In the end, the only way I could make sense of my story was to come up with my own story -- that Toby was covering for someone else," he explained to The Independent. "That, at least, made sense to me."


Hill similarly felt there was a loss when Sorkin and Schlamme left, saying Season 5 was the "roughest year." He felt as if in the first four seasons, the show was written to pit the characters against the world -- a "romantic" and "Camelot experience" -- while the later seasons were "us versus each other." He told HuffPost he felt Season 6 was strong, but in general there was "a lot of infighting at that point" between the characters after Sorkin and Slamme's departure. "Less teamwork. We still got the job done, but it was less reaching for these lofty goals." 


 


BONUS: Kanye West announced he's running for president in 2020, which Hill supports. Here's how he thinks the show would have been different with West instead of President Bartlet.





During a memorable  speech at the 2015 VMAs, Kanye West announced his plan to run for president in 2020. At the time, Hill tweeted support for the run, and so HuffPost asked how he thought "The West Wing" would have been different with West as president.



Ha! Well, I will say, Aaron's words are very rhythmical. Kanye would have a wonderful time saying the words. Aaron is a poet and so is Kanye West. They have a great mastery of language. But who knows? Who knows what it would be like with Kanye as the president. Kanye West instead of President Bartlet would be a very different show. But also very entertaining -- I will say that. 


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Amy Schumer Drunk-Ate Jake Gyllenhaal's Cake

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Prepare to fall even harder in love with Amy Schumer. 


The extremely funny comedian, writer and actor appeared on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" Friday night, and opened up about her time living in Jake Gyllenhaal's rented-out apartment with her sister. Though he left the place pretty "gutted," he did leave a cake in the freezer, which Schumer would eat while getting drunk and pretending to be at the party where it was served. 


Schumer provided the show with a clip of the magnificence in action: 







 Head over to CBS for the rest of the amazing interview. 


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George Clooney And Sandra Bullock's Plan To Fix Hollywood Sexism

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Sexism runs rampant in Hollywood


But in the Q&A following a screening of the film "Our Brand Is Crisis" at the Toronto Film Festival on Friday, George Clooney and Sandra Bullock discussed one potential method to fight it. 


In the Clooney-produced film, Bullock plays a Machiavellian political strategist -- a role that was originally written as a man. 


“Sandy called and said she wanted to do the role that was originally developed for a man to do,” Clooney said, according to Vulture. “And once we realized that you could change it really easily, it made you realize that there are an awful lot of women’s roles that could be out there if people just started thinking in this way.”


Good point. Execs could also try giving the go-ahead to scripts that are already written with complicated women characters -- maybe even written by women themselves! Increasing representation of women directors, producers and characters with actual arcs would be good too. 


Just as a little reminder, a University of Southern California study found that of 700 movies released between 2007 and 2014, a mere 1.9 percent were directed by women. Also, women made up less than one-third of all characters with lines or even a name. 


Great work, world!


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12 More Things You Didn't Know About 'Game Of Thrones,' According To The Cast

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It is known ... that a bunch of behind-the-scenes "Game of Thrones" stories are unknown.


Helping with that, HBO has now made "Game of Thrones" Season 5 available on digital release, months before it comes out on Blu-ray and DVD in March. As an added bonus for fans, the special features reveal some behind-the-scenes secrets from the set.


And because no one knows "Game of Thrones" secrets as well as the people who actually work on it, here are 12 more things you might've missed, according to the cast: 


Warning! Spoilers below! 


 


1. Sean Bean played soccer with his prosthetic head after dying.



If anyone should be unfazed by dying on screen, it should be Sean Bean. The dude just doesn't have a great life expectancy. But after getting beheaded on "Game of Thrones," the actor admitted during a Reddit AMA that he was a bit creeped out by his prosthetic head. He got over it, though. "We just kicked it around like a football," Bean said.


 


2. Jaime Lannister absolutely despises wearing his armor.



While talking with The Huffington Post, actor Ian Beattie, who plays Meryn Trant on the show, revealed Nikolaj Coster-Waldau "uses every possible chance he gets to get out of the armor," saying it's too heavy. "Between you and me, Nikolaj is a bit of a wuss," Beattie joked.


 


3. Actors were shocked the Jon Snow scene wasn't removed from their scripts.



Deobia Oparei, who plays Areo Hotah on the show, told HuffPost actors received the whole script for the Season 5 finale and he was shocked that the Jon Snow death scene hadn't been redacted. "I was surprised that we all got it," he said.  "I thought they would’ve omitted those pages so it was really kept close to the chest. I read it, and I was shocked."


 


4.  The writers put in fake death scenes to trick the actors.



While speaking with BBC Radio, Sophie Turner said the writers make fake scripts to trick the actors into thinking they're going to be killed off. "Then about three weeks later they'll end up telling you that it was a joke," the actress said.


 


5. Ian Beattie had nightmares after learning Meryn Trant was a pedophile.



Beattie told HuffPost he learned about his character's death before Season 5 began filming but was vague on what was actually going to happen. For him, the worst thing was learning the details of Trant's personal life and his attraction to young girls. "When I read it, I'll be perfectly honest, I was completely horrified," he said. "I, myself, am a father, so it really presented difficulties. I had nightmares over it."


Though it was a difficult shoot for him, Beattie told us the kids involved actually had a great time filming.


 


6. Oberyn Martell sounds like Pedro Pascal's dad. 



During a Reddit AMA, Pedro Pascal, who played Oberyn Martell on the show, explained his hedonistic character's accent by saying, "I remember I had this strange instinct that Oberyn Martell sounded like my Dad," adding, "I don't know what that says about my Dad."


 


7. Producers have debunked that one huge theory about Syrio. 



There's a big theory among "Game of Thrones" fans that says Arya's sword trainer Syrio actually survived an encounter with Kingsguard Meryn Trant. Beattie told HuffPost he actually met George R.R. Martin, but forgot to ask about it; however, he did talk to producers, and they agreed Syrio is actually dead.  


"He was pretty much defenseless. I was well armored, I had a big effing sword and I think Syrio would’ve bought Arya as much time as possible. I don’t believe Meryn would’ve let him live. I would be surprised if Syrio made an appearance in the future," Beattie said.


 


8. "Game of Thrones" is more like a theater company than a TV show.



Even with how intense the show comes across on screen, Oparei told HuffPost it's a little deceptive because it's surprisingly chill on set. "It reminds me of a theater company more than a film company just in terms of how easy and relaxed it is," the actor said. "It’s fun. Everyone’s having fun, and that's what makes it really special."


 


9. Oberyn fell asleep during his death scene. 



Pascal, whose character got his head smashed in on the show, once described his big death scene in a "Game of Thrones" roundtable of dead characters for HBO. The actor said he was told he'd be very uncomfortable, but actually he "just passed out." 


 


10. Tyrion and Varys are the on-set comedians.



When asked about something people might not know about working on the show, Beattie said it's like there are two comedians working on set all the time. "Peter Dinklage and Conleth Hill -- Tyrion and Varys -- they are the funniest act that you will ever hear. They’re funnier than most professional comedians, and they constantly have the cast in stitches," he told HuffPost. 


 


11. Joffrey died in a parking lot in California.



Because they just weren't positive it was gruesome enough, HBO flew Jack Gleeson out to a parking lot in Valencia, California, to reshoot his death. Gleeson discusses the reshoot in the Season 4 commentary, saying he still thought he ruined the shot because the "bloody Californian sun" was streaming into his eyes. Director Alex Graves disagrees, however.


 


12. Michelle Fairley cried the first time she saw the Red Wedding.



Who doesn't cry over weddings, right? The Red Wedding was especially emotional for actress Michelle Fairley, though, since, you know, she gets killed and all. The actress still had tears flowing the first time she saw the scene outside of her Catelyn Stark gear, which just so happened to be while doing the commentary for Season 3. "It's incredible. It just brings back so many memories," said Fairley. "It's so difficult to watch," added Richard Madden, who played Robb Stark.


 


Don't worry, Michelle. The North remembers ...




 


Game of Thrones: The Complete Fifth Season is available now on digital release and for Blu-ray/DVD on March 15, 2016. 

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'The Martian' Is One Of The Year's Best Movies

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Remember that perplexing scene in "Interstellar" when Matt Damon pops up and tries to kill Matthew McConaughey so he can return to Earth? The one that, as the Internet gladly pointed out last year, was rife with plot holes and silly space fisticuffs? I'd like to think that Damon saw his bit in the Christopher Nolan film, rolled his eyes and said, "The moviegoing world deserves better. Let's do better."


Enter "The Martian." It started as a popular debut novel by Andy Weir, but the movie could have easily gone south: Sci-fi maestro Ridley Scott ("Alien," "Blade Runner") hasn't made a great film since 2007's "American Gangster," and this lofty yarn was greenlit under the shadow of the technologically groundbreaking "Gravity" and Nolan's aforementioned space-time epic. But the Damon comeuppance that I've concocted in my imagination is quite applicable indeed, because "The Martian" is phenomenal.


Having premiered at the ongoing Toronto Film Festival ahead of its Oct. 2 release, "The Martian" is a populist sci-fi adventure that clocks in at more than two hours, yet flies by. It's like the film operates at zero gravity -- it's nerdy if you want it to be, but there is nothing fussy or ornate to weigh it down. As a survival story about Mark Watney (Damon), an astronaut stranded on Mars after his crew flees a windstorm, it is a witty character piece brimming with humor. As an interplanetary adventure about the NASA team coordinating Mark's rescue and the botany and engineering skills he administers to stay alive, it is a thrill ride about a resourceful guy who "sciences the shit out of" a terrifying predicament. But scientific minutiae are not the movie's MO, however technical the jargon is at times. The story is crystal clear (bye, "Interstellar"), the characters are three-dimensional beings without a hammy metaphor to work toward (sorry, "Gravity"), and the aesthetics are so understatedly beautiful that you might forget to marvel (see ya, Marvel). 


And the supporting cast! Oh, that dynamite supporting cast. Mark's crew comprises Jessica Chastain, who plays the mission's sturdy commander, as well as Michael Peña, Kate Mara, Sebastian Stan and Aksel Hennie. Back in Houston, where there is most definitely a problem that extends to a national PR crisis, we find Jeff Daniels as the NASA director, Chiwetel Ejiofor as a scientific strategist and Donald Glover as an 11th-hour savior. Not to mention Kristen Wiig (though the movie doesn't quite know what to do with her character), Sean Bean and Mackenzie Davis, who carries a surprising amount of the earthbound humor. That's an expansive list of actors, and Drew Goddard's script manages to give each his or her proper due. We don't know much about Mark's and the others' lives beyond Mars and/or NASA, and that's perfectly fine because we understand what makes them tick within the parameters of their plight. That's a true accomplishment.


I expect "The Martian" will find the box-office velocity it deserves. It's the third movie I've seen this year, after "Mad Max: Fury Road" and "Inside Out," that is worthy of a Best Picture nomination, which it very well could garner. But first, let yourself be carried up, up and away by the film, whose stirring conclusion had me in tears. "The Martian" is removed from the dystopian-slanted existentialism that has come to define science-fiction since "2001: A Space Odyssey" bolstered the genre in 1968. This movie has heart. With that, Ridley Scott has given us something special. 


For continuous updates from the Toronto Film Festival, follow Matthew Jacobs and Erin Whitney on Twitter.



Note: A previous version of this article misidentified the main character's name as Mark Whatley.
 


 


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Michael Moore's 'Where To Invade Next' Deserves The Nonpartisan Audience It Won't Find

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Michael Moore is the 21st century's most famous documentarian, but not for the same reasons that Ken Burns and Werner Herzog and Errol Morris defined the genre in the previous century. Moore is hyper-aware of the platform he's carved out for himself. It's the same platform that got him booed at the Oscars and landed him on Time's 2005 list of the globe's most influential people. He galvanizes his core audience -- liberals who criticize gun laws and long for universal healthcare -- and alienates the non-choir folk who might actually have something to glean from his films. 


That was blindingly transparent at Thursday's opening-night Toronto Film Festival screening of Moore's new documentary, "Where to Invade Next." A packed house at the expansive Princess of Wales Theatre not only laughed at the movie's many witty moments, but gleeful cheers and applause broke out at regular intervals as the film's interview subjects pointed out the copious examples that prove America, however great, is culturally, politically and sociologically inferior t0 other countries. Sitting among the crowd, and agreeing with the bulk of their endorsements, I wondered whether what should be seen as a relatively nonpartisan doc would register anywhere outside of the admitted echo chamber that exists within the mainstream entertainment media. Will anyone who doesn't already question America's military industrial complex see this film? Aren't proponents of women's rights already aligned with the points Moore raises? Doesn't anyone with half a brain think the country's lack of paid-vacation laws is chintzy?



The answers to these questions, in all likelihood, are resounding affirmatives. That's not to say that "Where to Invade Next" isn't good. Its execution, in fact, is quite effective. It's built on the guise of Moore assuming the Pentagon's duties by "invading" -- aka visiting -- other countries to poach ideas that would make America a fairer, more hospitable place. Along the way, he learns that Italy provides citizens with eight weeks (!!!) of paid vacation. In France, school-cafeteria lunches are five-star affairs. Slovenia offers free college education. Portugal has decriminalized all drug use and seen its usage rates plummet. Women's health clinics in Tunisia are government-funded.


Wouldn't it be great if America emulated such policies? "Obviously," the TIFF viewers shouted by way of periodic applause in response to the film's talking heads, who blanch at the notion that the United States doesn't offer the same advantages. The fact that "Where to Invade Next" is built with practical alternatives to America's systemic flaws makes it a stirring work of political theater, and with only a gentle presence from Moore throughout, progressive audiences will continue to howl, just as they did at Thursday's screening. But watching the movie with such a devout congregation was a living reminder that a Moore documentary serves constituents rather than the overall populace. With peachier projects like "Bowling for Columbine" and "Fahrenheit 9/11," that was inevitable. With "Where to Invade Next," which ends on a hopeful note and should be seen as Moore's least parochial outing yet (there's only one George W. Bush crack!), it's just a shame. This isn't a quote-unquote liberal movie -- it's a look at the decency that exists across the globe but is often undervalued on our home turf.


For continuous updates from the Toronto Film Festival, follow Matthew Jacobs and Erin Whitney on Twitter.


 


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Here's Why Kristen Stewart Feels 'Really Bad' For Kim Davis

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Kristen Stewart feels bad for anti-gay Kentucky County Clerk Kim Davis, and she has good reason. 


The actress sat down with The Daily Beast during the Toronto International Film Festival to promote her new movie, "Equals," about a future society where people are emotionless, and those with emotions are eradicated. During the conversation, the subject of Davis came up. 


"Oh my god. Did you see her come out of jail?" Stewart asked. "Honestly, it makes me so deeply uncomfortable. I feel really bad for her. Anyone who’s so closed off to things that are so apparent? Imagine what else she’s missing out on in life. I’m not making any grand statements about her personally, but if something so glaringly obvious, such as this subject…" 


"... to have that much hate in your heart," reporter Marlow Stern replied. 


"That’s why I feel bad for her. It’s like, 'Oh, buddy, that must suck.' That fear of the unknown cripples people, breeds hate and it’s just very sad." 


Stewart has said she embraces the unknown. When her sexuality became headline fodder earlier this year regarding her relationship with personal assistant Alicia Cargile, she did not shy away ("Google me, I'm not hiding"), but she also didn't pander to labels. 


"If you feel like you really want to define yourself, and you have the ability to articulate those parameters and that in itself defines you, then do it," she told Nylon. "But I am an actress, man. I live in the f**king ambiguity of this life and I love it." 


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Sandra Bullock, Josh Brolin And Other Stars Sound Off On Who Would Make The Best Celeb President

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The presidential election is fast approaching, and thanks in part to Donald Trump, the line between politics and entertainment becomes blurrier each day. 


Sure, Trump isn't the first "celebrity" (he did have his own TV show, after all) to run for president -- Ronald Reagan did it, and won -- but that doesn't mean he's suited for the job. So, who would make a good celebrity president? Well, The Hollywood Reporter asked the famous folks of Tinseltown to answer just that during the Toronto International Film Festival. 


Michael Moore, Al Franken, Sean Penn and Oprah (Ellen Page's choice) are just a few of the names that come up in the discussions, though not everyone interviewed was into the idea. 


"I don't like the idea of a celebrity president," Geoffrey Rush stated. "It just seems wrong."  Naomi Watts, clearly on the same wavelength, said, "Let's leave that to the politicians." 


Sandra Bullock, though not naming anyone in particular, shared a good thought: "How about someone who really cares about our country and wants to make it great for everyone and equal for everyone? That's a crazy concept! I think we should put that out there as an idea."


Watch the video above to see more stars sound off on who would make the best celebrity candidate. You might be surprised with some of their choices. 


 


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Kim Kardashian Launches Website And App, Expects You To Pay For It

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It's here, and you have to pay for it.


After months of hype, Kim Kardashian finally launched her new website and accompanying app, which offers beauty tutorials, live streams, look breakdowns, and behind-the-scenes photos from Kim's personal collection.  But you'll have to shell out $2.99/month if you want see some of it. (UPDATE:Khloe Kardashian as well as Kylie and Kendall Jenner all launched their own paid apps, too. )



Like those beauty tutorials, for example. Leaning to contour like a Kardashian does not come for free, even though there are thousands of videos on YouTube that show the same technique, including videos from Kim's own makeup artist, Mario Dedivanovic, who is featured in the paid tutorial. There are also near-nude photos from behind-the-scenes shoots, not shockingly only for those who have "unlocked" Kim's world.



Of course, some things are free -- like her pregnancy diary, in which she reveals to fans that, as of last month, the baby-to-be is the size of a "small banana." Fascinating stuff.  


And now you have one more way to keep up with Kim.




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At This Year's Toronto Film Festival, It's The Quieter Performances That Speak The Loudest

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We tend to remember a film's showiest performance. Often, that center of attraction takes on the physicality of an ill character or the malevolence of a corrupt one. In the former camp, think Tom Hanks battling AIDS in "Philadelphia," Meryl Streep succumbing to cancer in "One True Thing" or Eddie Redmayne contorting his physique as ALS takes over Stephen Hawking in "The Theory of Everything." All three earned Oscar nominations, because they are accomplished roles and because it is easy to appreciate an actor who effectively captures the outsize despair of a decaying body. The second camp -- skillful portrayals of sinister lowlives -- includes Anthony Hopkins in "The Silence of the Lambs" and Louise Fletcher in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," both among cinema's most memorable work.  


The ongoing Toronto Film Festival has several of these emotive performances among its roster: Julianne Moore wheezes her way through lung cancer in the gay-rights drama "Freeheld," a cancer-stricken Toni Collette must bid her best friend farewell in the weepy girl-power ode "Miss You Already," Johnny Depp disappears behind the steely blue eyes of Boston mobster Whitey Bulger in "Black Mass," and Eddie Redmayne -- an equally physical performance, despite no illness or corruption on display -- transitions to a proper identity in the lush "Danish Girl." These are remarkable, lived-in performances, palpable and at times difficult to witness. All of them, especially Redmayne and Depp, will see Oscar buzz in the coming months. 


But I'm more interested in talking about the people who surround these performances. In a sense, they have a far more difficult job. Each of these movies casts an onscreen companion who must balance the emotional weight of such visceral struggles. Ellen Page contends with her partner's death in "Freeheld," Drew Barrymore prepares for the absence of her lifelong friend in "Miss You Already," Joel Edgerton tenderizes the crookedness stamped all over "Black Mass" as a racketeering FBI informant, and Alicia Vikander forms the other half of the moving romance that becomes the fortitude of "The Danish Girl." Their characters' trajectories are less obvious, which means their performances don't feel like the films' centerpieces. But they very much are, just like Jodie Foster in "The Silence of the Lambs" and Felicity Jones in "The Theory of Everything." (For other examples out of Toronto, see Joan Allen in "Room," Jessica Chastain in "The Martian" and Jane Fonda in "Youth.")


Before the first frames of these films even flashed onscreen, Toronto audiences had an inherent sense of what to feel. Most anyone would when it comes to cancer sufferers, a notorious mobster and a victimized transgender woman. It's their screen partners, then, who must ground the stories. They take us on the true emotional journeys, and in that regard, they are proxies for the audience. It may not be their tale, per se, but they have to bring depth to what would otherwise be glaring character arcs. That's a tough gig, and Page, Barrymore, Edgerton and Vikander are worthy of their paychecks. 


When the aforementioned movies open over the next couple of months, prepare to be wowed by the physical and emotional transformations of their leads. But divorce yourself, at least momentarily, from the showiness of such roles and you'll find that the true heft belongs to the players whose work doesn't scream "Oscar buzz" quite as loudly. They, too, are some of the year's best. 


For continuous updates from the Toronto Film Festival, follow Matthew Jacobs and Erin Whitney on Twitter.


 


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Jane Fonda Never Wanted To Act, Until 4 Words Changed Her Mind

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Growing up as the daughter of a well-known film and stage actor, Jane Fonda may have seemed destined to follow Henry Fonda's famous footsteps. But the 77-year-old Oscar winner says she never actually planned on getting into the entertainment business for two distinct reasons. One had to do with the very man whose career she ended up mirroring.


As Jane tells "Oprah's Master Class," her father never seemed very happy about his work as an actor. "I never wanted to be an actress because my father... never seemed to bring joy home when he came home from work," she says.  "It was always problems. He wasn't satisfied with this, or this isn't [right]. No joy."



In addition, Jane struggled with some serious self-esteem issues that she felt would prevent her from succeeding in the showbiz industry.


"I thought I was fat and not talented. So, it was not the direction I was going to go in," she says.


Instead, Jane found work as a secretary, but was later fired from that position. Faced with the pressure of moving out of Henry's house while also struggling to figure out her next step, Jane felt a bit lost. Then, her friend Susan Strasberg, daughter of the legendary acting coach Lee Strasberg, made a suggestion.


"Susan Strasberg said, 'Why don't you start studying with my father?'" Jane recalls. "This was Lee Strasberg. I thought, 'Well, I'll give that a try.'"



Jane attended one of Lee's acting classes, along with dozens of other people -- including some familiar faces.


"I sat next to Marilyn Monroe," Jane says. "She and I would sit in the back of the room. She'd have no makeup on and dark glasses on and a scarf around her head, looking very scared. Apparently, [she] was always too scared to ever get up and do anything."


Jane felt similarly, but after about a month and a half of sitting quietly in the back of Lee's class, Jane knew it was her time to take the stage.


"The first thing he would ask you to do would be a sense memory, where you wouldn't pantomime, but you would [act it out]," Jane says. "I chose drinking a glass of orange juice."


Though terrified -- "There were more people than usual in the class. I think they were coming to see Henry Fonda's daughter fail." -- Jane gave it her best shot. When she finished, she looked to Lee for his feedback.


"Lee said to me, 'You have real talent,'" she says. "From that moment on, everything changed."



Those four words, coming from such a respected voice in the industry, instantly catapulted Jane's confidence.


"I remember when I walked out the door of the building that day, it was like New York was a different place; I owned it," she says.


That's also when Jane realized that she hadn't just found something at which she excelled; she had found her passion.


"From that moment on, I would go to bed loving something and wake up loving something. There was a focus to my life, something that I knew I adored," Jane says. "That approbation from Lee changed my life."


More from Oprah.com:


How Jane Fonda uncovered the truth about -- and forgave herself for -- her mother's death


"Oprah's Master Class" returns for its fifth season on Sunday, Oct. 25, at 8 p.m. ET. Upcoming masters include Ellen DeGeneres, Robert Duvall, Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson, Smokey Robinson, Jeff Bridges, James Taylor and Patti LaBelle.


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Kylie Jenner Bites Tyga's Lip In Seductive Snapchat Video

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Kylie Jenner just can't keep her hands (and mouth) off Tyga. 


After making their relationship fashion week official, the couple spent their Saturday night at Alexander Wang's afterparty at Pier 94 in New York where they packed on the PDA. And of course, since everyone's so obsessed with recording every waking moment of their lives (pics or it didn't happen!), the youngest member of the Kardashian-Jenner krew made sure to share a Snapchat video while kissing her man at the party


In the video, the 18-year-old is seen grabbing the 25-year-old rapper's face and seductively biting his lip. Oh, and she makes sure to look straight at the camera while doing it, seemingly telling us that she doesn't care what anyone thinks (thank you very much) without even saying a word. Naturally, in reaction, Tyga shows off his golden grills. 



Over the weekend, Jenner and Tyga also attended the Opening Ceremony show, where they were seated in the front row. 



This is real love, you guys. 


 


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Gabrielle Union: Career Women Without Children Wear A 'Scarlet Letter'

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In a recent interview with Redbook magazine, Gabrielle Union got candid about the struggles many woman face in deciding if and when to start a family. 


"The reality is that women are discriminated against in the workplace for being mothers," Union told the magazine for the October 2015 issue. "As much as there are strides being made -- you get pregnant, your career takes a hit. You can't have a bad day. Don't you dare cry at work. Don't raise your voice. Especially if you're a black woman in corporate America -- now you're 'the angry black woman.'"


The 42-year-old star married NBA star Dwyane Wade, 33, last year, becoming stepmother to his three children. In Redbook, Union discussed the possibility of having children in the future, and the struggle and stigma many women face when they choose to have children later in life. 


"So far, it has not happened for us," she tells Redbook. "A lot of my friends deal with this. There's a certain amount of shame that is placed on women who have perhaps chosen a career over starting a family younger. The penance for being a career woman is barrenness. You feel like you're wearing a scarlet letter." 


Read more over at Redbook.com




 


 


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Lessons I've Learned Since Coming Out

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This article is part of an on-going original series written by Caitlyn Jenner for WhoSay called "The Real Me," which explores issues and people in the LGBT community.

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(Caitlyn Jenner and the producers and crew of "I Am Cait" celebrating the wrap of the last episode of the show)

Hello friends. Caitlyn here. As the first season of my show, "I Am Cait," comes to end, I find myself reflecting on my journey so far and just how rewarding it has been.

My experience over the last four months has been incredible. Many people have come up to me and told me their stories. It turns out lots of you have friends or family members who are transgender. Who knew? I never would have had these conversations if I had not come out publicly and finally lived my truth. For so long, people -- myself included -- were embarrassed to talk about transgender issues and now we finally have an open dialogue happening. That's amazing progress in and of itself.

While I could write a novel on everything I've learned over the last several months, here are a few things that I'd like to share:

First of all, I've never experienced acceptance quite like that I've received from the transgender community. Even though my experience is far from the norm, this group of people has welcomed me with open arms -- and I am eternally grateful to them.

The conversations I've had with my new friends (many of which you witnessed on the show) are some of my favorite moments that I've had since transitioning. Jenny Boylan, Candis Cayne, Chandi Moore, all of the girls... I have loved getting to know them and receiving their advice. Thanks to them, I have gained so much knowledge about this community. That's why it's so important to me that many trans voices are part of "I Am Cait." I want viewers to hear many different points of view, and I cannot tell you how much I appreciate their openness.

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(Caitlyn Jenner and her new friends at her naming ceremony)

One of the many lessons that these fabulous women have taught me is that -- despite all being transgender -- they each feel differently about particular issues. It's important to have an open dialogue with the trans people in your life about their unique viewpoints and not lump us all together. Just because I think something is funny or appropriate, doesn't mean that all trans people feel the same way and vice versa. I can only speak from my own personal experience and in no way can I represent the entire trans community. My opinion is just that, my own opinion. There's no one way to be trans!

Perhaps the most surprising and shocking thing for me has been to learn about the number of problems the transgender community faces. Up until my transition, I had never met another openly trans person. Job discrimination, sex work, ostracism from families, horrific violence... I had no idea what so many people go through to live as their true selves. It is staggering.

While I'm far from perfect and will make some mistakes along the way, I've made it my life goal to help the wonderful people in this community. Trans rights are about 30 years behind gay rights (and look at the incredible progress we've made there!). We've got a lot more work to do in the trans community, but we're getting closer. As Chandi reminds me, "We have to save one soul at a time."

asdfas
(Caitlyn Jenner and friends meeting Boy George backstage at his concert)

I want to help each of you understand something that I only recently embraced: Being different is okay -- in fact, it's great! But I also understand it takes some getting used to. Like many people, there was a time when I didn't realize how important it is for gay couples to have the right to get married. But after hearing from my gay friends and learning more about the hardships they faced because of discrimination, it became clear to me that everyone should be able to marry the person they love. I can only hope that by sharing my story, there's someone out there whose mind has been changed about trans people.

Because regardless of whether you are transgender or not, we all have stuff to deal with in our lives. To have the courage to overcome obstacles and be your authentic self is an amazing process to go through. I want you to believe in yourself and know that you can deal with it. You can be okay.

Many of you have written and asked what's next for me. I'm going to take breather for a minute. I want to continue to grow as a person. In so many ways I feel like I'm a teenage girl discovering herself! I'm still trying to figure out what it means to be a woman and I will continue that process. Because you know what? It's a lot of fun!

Let the journey continue...

Until next time,
Cait

For more information on the transgender movement, see a list of resources at CaitlynJenner.com.

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