The legendary alto saxophonist died of cardiac arrest, reports The New York Times. Coleman, 85, was considered a jazz innovator and the creator of free jazz. He died in New York City. [New York Times]
Being a woman in Tinseltown isn’t easy (or so we’ve heard), but being a Black woman is even harder. How to Get Away With Murder wonderwoman Viola Davis admitted at a Hollywood Reporter roundtable that when she landed the role of Annalise, she had to get used to playing a sexualized character. “I had never seen a 49-year-old, dark-skinned woman who is not a size 2 be a sexualized role in TV or film,” she said. “But…the women in my life who are sexualized are anywhere from a size 0 to a size 24. They don’t walk like supermodels in heels. They take their wig and makeup off at night. So this role was my way of saying, ‘Welcome to womanhood!’ It’s also healed me and shown a lot of little dark-skinned girls with curly hair a physical manifestation of themselves.” We’re so happy to see you on primetime, Viola! [The Hollywood Reporter]
Power doesn’t show signs of slowing down any time soon. After last weekend’s season two debut broke network records, Starz has opted to renew the hit drama for a third season. Looks like there will be more Omari Hardwick and Naturi Naughton in our future! [Deadline]
Happy birthday, Sasha! Yesterday, the youngest First Daughter celebrated her 14th birthday. Where has the time gone? Sasha has grown into a beautiful young woman before our very eyes (and she scored a pretty fantastic birthday gift—last week, Michelle Obama announced that she would be taking Sasha and Malia on a diplomatic trip to Europe!). [Politico]
The wait is almost over! Netflix’s hit original series Orange is the New Black is coming to a computer screen near you in less than 24 hours. To get viewers psyched up, Netflix released a behind-the-scenes teaser trailer promising fans that this will be the show’s “sexiest” season ever. Plus, we get a first look at Litchfield’s newest inmates! Check out the trailer here. [YouTube]
Yowza. Forbes Magazine named Floyd Mayweather—who brought in a dizzying $300 million in the last year—the world’s highest-paid athlete (we can see why!). His fight last month against Manny Pacquiao drew an estimated $400 million, which he gets 60 percent of. Factor in his earnings from his September fight against Marcos Maidana, and you can see why he’s topping the charts. [Forbes]
The same woman who brought you Precious is working on her next enthralling drama. Lisa Cortés, who produced Lee Daniel’s Precious, has signed on to produce Double Play, a thrilling new drama based on a 1973 novel of the same name by Frank Martinus Arion. The story will centers on four men and their game of dominoes. Throughout the course of the game, the men’s fates are slowly revealed. No word on release date yet, but we’ll keep our ears open! [Deadline]
