As we come out of the Christmas holiday, we’re met with a mix of sad and happy news from the entertainment world.
First, a sad note about a man who brought us so many laughs:
Former SNL Writer Commits Suicide
Joe Bodolai (at right), who wrote for 20 episodes of Saturday Night Live, produced 20 episodes of Kids in the Hall and co-wrote the first draft of Wayne’s World with Mike Myers, was found dead in an apparent suicide in Los Angeles on Monday. Police found a bottle of antifreeze and Gatorade in Bodolai’s hotel room. There was no suicide note, but on December 23, Bodolai published a blog post titled, “If This Was Your Last Day Alive What Would You Do?”, outlining his predictions for the next year (“Snooki will have another “book'”), his regrets (including “My inability to conquer my alcoholism” and “The things I did because of it”) and his thoughts on his life’s accomplishments. The Canadian writer also served as a producer for Canada’s Gemini Awards. He was 63.
Santa Baby, Forgot to Mention One Little Thing, A Ring…
Three stars popped the big question over the holiday weekend. Singer John Legend proposed to his longtime girlfriend, model Chrissy Tiegen (whom you may have seen as Chris March’s latest client on Bravo’s fabulous Mad Fashion), while vacationing in the Maldives. Matthew McConaughey proposed to his model longtime love and mother to his two children, Camila Alves, and then tweeted the good news to his fans.
And former American Idol season 8 finalist Danny Gokey, who tragically lost his wife three years ago after a routine heart surgery, got engaged to his girlfriend, Leyicet Peralta. The couple posted the news on Gokey’s charity website, Sophia’s Heart, which honors the memory of his late wife and seeks to help children and families in need.
Hell on Wheels Keeps on Turning
Deadline reports that AMC has renewed Hell on Wheels, its freshman drama about the building of the transcontinental railroad, for a second season. The series, which stars Anson Mount as a Confederate soldier seeking revenge on the Union soldiers who killed his wife, alongside Common, Colm Meaney and Dominique McElligott, returns with a brand new episode, “Derailed,” on January 1.
(Image courtesy of Twitter)
Senior Writer, BuddyTV
Meghan hails from Walla Walla, WA, the proud home of the world’s best sweet onions and Adam West, the original Batman. An avid grammarian and over-analyzer, you can usually find her thinking too hard about plot devices in favorites like The Office, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and How I Met Your Mother. In her spare time, Meghan enjoys drawing, shopping, trying to be funny (and often failing), and not understanding the whole Twilight thing. She’s got a BA in English and Studio Art from Whitman College, which makes her a professional arguer, daydreamer, and doodler.
